Is alcohol bad for building muscles?!

Yes and no. In excess, alcohol is bad for you, but in small amounts of the right kind, it can be beneficial. Wine is a prime example, as it's been shown that drinking some wine daily will increase the functioning of your cardiovascular system, which of course is great since the body needs a well functioning cardiovascular system to exercise efficiently. However, drinking alcohol in excess before or during a workout will not help at all, and will hinder. Alcohol thins the blood, and because of such, that means there's less blood cells available at a given area to transport oxygen throughout your body. also, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes water to be expelled from the body at a higher rate, and you should know the importance to proper hydration when exercising. also, alcohol is a depressant drug, in that it slows down your bodily systems, and that works against the systems needed to exercise and gain muscle mass. And finally, you need to watch what kind of alcohol you drink because much of it is highly caloric. Beers, vodka, rum, mixed drinks, and such are all high in calories, as the plants they are derived from are high in calories, or in the case of mixed drinks, sugar is added to them. Alcohols like wine are better, as they're not too high in calories, and again, once or twice a day isn't going to hinder your exercise routine, that goes for any alcohol, but if you start drinking in excess, that's when you start messing things up. I am slightly skeptical of the previous poster claiming that alcohol muddles with hormones, as that doesn't seem entirely fact based to me, especially in the case of testosterone, given that that hormone promotes aggression and there are many, many drunks out there who are quite violent and aggressive; Coupled with the lack of coverage of such things in the media, given that alcohol is something that most people consume, and the fact that the entirety of Europe consumes alcohol from very young ages, albeit not in excess, and still remains indistinguishable from Americans, I believe that if alcohol disturbed hormones there would be more information out there made apparent to the public in the media. I personally don't believe you have to worry about hormones in terms of your alcohol consumption, and the biggest thing I hope you remember is to drink in moderation.Health Question & Answer

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there are 7 reasons; have given a summary below:

1) alcohol decreases growth hormones
2) alcohol decreases testosterone
3) alcohol slows down recovery
4) alcohol causes dehydration
5) alcohol affects glycogen synthesis (ie. muscle mass is built slower)
6) alcohol decreases performance (heart beats faster than normal)
7) alcohol contains calories = FATHealth Question & Answer

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Well its not good for it. Health Question & Answer

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