If you exercise on a regular basis and drink alcohol on the same regular basis you could be doing yourself a huge injustice.
We all know that the week can be full of obstacles and hurdles.
The thought of going out Friday night for a couple of drinks after a stressful week probably isn't the best idea, especially if you are trying to build muscle during your workouts.
I know you're thinking how much harm could a few drinks have on my performance at the gym? Research has proven time and time again that even small amounts of alcohol will hinder the increase of muscular endurance and steal your strength.
You won't notice anything right away.
After about 20 minutes or so you begin to see the problems surfacing.
You seem to lose your ability to concentrate, you will become short winded much quicker, and you will sweat twice as much as you normally would.
Your body is trying to get rid of the toxic poisons that reside in alcohol.
The negative side effects of alcohol can reduce your strength, endurance, aerobic capability, recovery time, ability to metabolize fat and even stun your muscle growth.
Alcohol also affects your nervous system making it hard to focus and stay alert.
If you drink alcohol for long periods of time it can seriously deteriorate your nervous system.
Even with short term use, nerve muscle interaction can be reduced which results in loss of strength.
Research has also proven that when you consume alcohol and workout your recovery time will almost double because you have less functional muscle contractions.
Alcohol also robs your body of its ability to produce heat.
This causes your muscles to become cold, therefore you become weaker and slower during your muscle contractions.
If you must drink alcohol you should always drink in moderation and never drink before you exercise.
If you do your taking a huge risk of serious injury because it impairs your balance, coordination, and more importantly your judgment.