On Friday afternoon after you leave work, you probably think about going out and having a few drinks with friends to relax and wind down. Even though you may think you deserve to go out and have a few drinks, there are some things that you should certainly keep in mind.
Like any other day, tomorrow is going to be a day for exercise, and since you are exercising on a regular basis, a few drinks of alcohol won't really hurt anything, right? Before you decide to rush out to the local bar, there are a few things below that you should think about before you make your choice about going out to drink some alcohol.
Research has proven that even small amounts of alcohol will increase muscular endurance and the output of strength, although these types of benefits are very short lived. After 20 minutes or so,the problems will begin to surface. All of the negative side effects associated with alcohol will easily outweigh any possible benefits that it can have. No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a poison that can really harm your body if you aren't careful.
Alcohol can reduce strength, endurance, aerobic capability, recovery time, ability to metabolize fat, and even your muscle growth. Alcohol will also have an effect on your nervous system and brain. If you use it long term, you can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system. Even with short term use,nerve- muscle interaction can be reduced which will result in a loss of strength.
Once alcohol reaches the blood cells, it can and probably will damage them. With alcohol users,inflammation of the muscle cells is a very common thing. Over periods of time,some of these cells that have been damaged can die which will result in less functional muscle contractions. Drinking alcohol will also leave you with more soreness of your muscles after you exercise, which means that it will take you a lot longer to recuperate.
Alcohol will also affect your heart and circulatory system. When you drink any type of alcohol,you may begin to see a reduction in your endurance capabilities. Anytime you drink, your heat loss will increase,due to the alcohol simulating your blood vessels to dilate. The loss of heat can cause your muscles to become quite cold, and therefore slower and weaker during your muscle contractions.
Drinking alcohol also lead to digestive and nutrition problems. Alcohol consumption triggers a release of insulin that will increase the metabolism of glycogen, which spares fat and makes fat loss even more difficult. Prolonged alcohol use also interferes with the absorption of several key nutrients, which can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Drinking on a regular basis also puts extra stress on your kidneys and liver. These are key organs in helping your body "return to normal" after you drink and all the added stress can cause a lot of damage.
Now does this mean you can never drink? Of course not. It's like I have been telling you all along-moderation is the key. If you are going to go out to a party every so often, make up your mind beforehand that you will have no more than 1 beer for example. Also remember that we all come in different sizes. A 200 pound man will be less affected by a glass of wine, for example, than a 120 pound woman.
And I know it sounds cliche, but don't ever feel pressured to drink more than you have planned-it's not fair to yourself and all the hard work you have put into to your exercise training program.
Author Resource:-
Get the list of 20 "Blueprints" I created that allowed me to transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine getting the body you've always wanted! Only available at Harry's Blog
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