Does Drinking Alcohol Really Impact Your Health?

Author: Shannon Boyce

Every health and fitness book has one main thing in common. What is it? They all urge you to avoid alcohol consumption at all costs. That means no cocktail at dinner and certainly none of those all-nighters! Yes, alcohol is one fitness no-no…. but why? Have you ever wondered why you’re supposed to avoid it? It’s time to find out why and answer the question: does drinking alcohol impact your health?

Effects of Alcohol on Weight Loss

When it comes to drinking alcohol, there are many drawbacks. Regular consumption can actually impact how quickly you reach your weight loss goals. How does it do this exactly? Most alcoholic beverages are full of tons of empty calories, and you’ve got a problem. Believe it or not, it has actually been found that drinking alcohol regularly can affect your digestive system. It can be more difficult for your body to absorb essential nutrients. In fact, it may be much harder for you to get amino acids and B vitamins. Talk about paying for a night out!

If that wasn’t enough, alcohol consumption can also impact your diet in other ways. When you drink, your defenses are down. Even if you’ve been strict with your eating habits, a few drinks, and you are a thousand times more likely to order that plate of extra cheese fries. That can really pack on the pounds. Plus, the fact that most drinks are full of sugar, it isn’t hard to figure out how alcohol can cause you to gain weight, rather than lose it. In order to keep your weight loss goals on track, ditch the liquor. There are simply too many ways that it can ruin your progress.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Fitness

It isn’t just your weight that is affected by drinking often. Your fitness can also take a hit. This can happen in a couple of different ways. The first has to do with the fact that alcohol dehydrates your body. If you drink too much, you will likely be desperate for a glass of water! What does this have to do with your fitness? Say you went drinking the night before but still want to get your workout in the next day. Bad idea. Working out creates sweat, which can also dehydrate you. When you are dehydrated from drinking and then further dehydrate yourself, you’ll notice reduced performance in the gym. You are even more likely to overheat your body after you’ve been drinking, so be careful.

Another way that alcohol affects your fitness routine? Less energy. When you drink, your body’s ability to produce energy is altered, giving you low levels of blood sugar. That can make it more difficult to exercise well or have enough energy to exercise at all.

So, does drinking alcohol really impact your health? There are different views about whether a glass of wine a day is beneficial to your health or not. I guess it always comes down to moderation. But if you’re trying to lose weight, drinking regularly can impact those goals as well as your level of fitness.