Body Fit Training expert reveals why drinking alcohol is ruining your workout efforts

A fitness expert has revealed how drinking alcohol is destroying your efforts and progress after a workout as Dry July reaches the half way point in Australia. 

Mackenzie Blakey, Program and Research Lead for Body Fit Training in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia drinking alcohol has been proven to reduce performance, impact muscle development and increase risk of injury when exercising.

Not only does alcohol dehydrate the body, it also increases the heart rate, impairs sleep and cognitive function and hinders muscle growth.

This ultimately hinders the progress towards your fitness goals by making it harder to lose weight or build muscle. 

Mackenzie Blakey, Program and Research Lead for Body Fit Training in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia drinking alcohol has been proven to reduce performance, impact muscle development and increase risk of injury when exercising

The effects of alcohol ultimately hinders the progress of your fitness goals and almost reverses what you are trying to achieve during a workout

How does alcohol impact your body and delay fitness goals?

Ms Blakey said alcohol impairs efficient energy utilisation and processing during exercise, making your body work harder to achieve a lesser outcome.

‘Alcohol consumption alters your energy source used by working skeletal muscles, reducing energy supply and impairing metabolic processes,’ she said.

‘It also decreases the rate of protein production and muscle fibre recruitment.’

With these bodily functions and system not working at their best, you will feel worse when working out after drinking alcohol and will likely achieve very little after a workout session. 

Thousands of Australians sign up each year to raise money for cancer research by ditching the drink for ‘Dry July’

How does alcohol impact muscle growth?

Regardless of whether you’re trying to burn fat, gain muscle or workout to keep fit, alcohol essentially prolongs the time it takes to reach fitness goals.

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‘Muscle growth is dependent on both hypertrophy training and sufficient nutrition including adequate protein intake – alcohol consumption affects both of these,’ Ms Blakey said.

She added how on a night out when alcohol is consumed it is often paired with fast food, which is high in fats and carbohydrates with little protein.

‘A big night of drinking is also generally paired with little sleep as well as dehydration,’ she said.

‘Hydration and sleep are important aspects of hypertrophy training as adaptations occur at rest, preceding the training session.’

‘So alcohol not only negatively affects performance and the ability to train efficiently but also impacts the resultant gains.’

Regardless of whether you’re trying to burn fat, gain muscle or workout to keep fit, alcohol essentially prolongs the time it takes to reach fitness goals

Why is it important to not exercise when you’re dehydrated or hungover? 

You should avoid exercising when dehydrated or hungover as this can lead to injuries. 

Ms Blakey said dehydration places strain on different bodily system, which boosts your heart rate and increases the risk of fatal consequences.

‘Dehydration impairs cognitive function, increases cardiovascular strain, alters metabolic function and induces alterations in central nervous system functions,’ she said.

‘This causes your exercising heart rate to increase at a greater rate and impairs your body’s ability to regulate homeostasis therefore putting bodily systems under a greater level of stress.’