Drinking Alcohol is KILLING Your Gains!

Have you ever wondered if drinking alcohol is killing your gains and hurting your ability to build muscle? If so, then you’re definitely going to want to watch this video. We’re going to talk about whether or not alcohol has as a detrimental effect on muscle growth as you might think.

When it comes to alcohol and body composition, we can’t just look at alcohol and building muscle, but also at alcohol and losing fat. In both cases, alcohol has a role to play. You might think that the answer is simple enough in that drinking is always going to play a negative role, no matter what. Well, you might want to change that way of thinking after watching this video.

Now, if you are looking to lose fat, there are some things you need to be aware of when it comes to drinking alcohol. As it turns out, if your caloric intake is kept constant, there is likely no effect that alcohol will have on keeping fat off. Here’s the the thing, though; it’s not so easy.

Sitting at 7 calories per gram, alcohol sits closer in its caloric range to fat than it does say protein or carbohydrates. Not only that, but alcohol is not very satiating. What this means is that you are likely to consume more calories from drinking than you might think. Imagine how many protein shakes you can drink in one sitting versus how many alcoholic drinks you can in a single sitting and then compare the caloric intake. Alcohol also halts the metabolism of fats and carbs as it prioritizes the processing of the alcohol. This means that those fats and carbs are more likely to be stored by the body in the form of body fat.

When it comes to drinking alcohol and body fat deposition, I think I have a huge advantage because as someone that doesn’t drink, I don’t have to worry about these factors when it comes to staying as leans as I do. So if getting as lean as possible is your ultimate goal, then I would invite you to explore the option of avoiding drinking alcohol all together.

But what if you don’t want to abstain from drinking alcohol like I do, what then? In that case, I have a few recommendations that can help you stay lean without having to give up drinking. First, make sure you are eating lower calorie-dense but higher fiber foods. Decrease your fat intake on days where you know you will be drinking as well as decreasing the number of calories you are getting from non-protein sources due to alcohol’s blunting of muscle protein synthesis.

What about building muscle? Well, when you consider drinking alcohol and working out, you have to consider how much you are drinking. As it turns out, 1-3 drinks is not going to have much effect on building muscle, as long as you are not getting drunk (more on that later). On top of that, it’s been shown that there is a small increase in testosterone as well. Don’t get too excited though, it’s not enough to make a clinical difference, but at the same time, it illustrates that it isn’t going down (which is obviously a good thing when it comes to building more muscle).

Where alcohol and building muscle becomes a problem is when the drinking comes to the point of excess (getting drunk). We can’t really quantify how many drinks this is because every person’s tolerance is different based on a multitude of factors including size and what type of alcohol is being consumed. Since we can’t put a specific number, we’ll just use the bench mark of intoxication.

Heavy drinking effects muscle growth in two significant ways that you are going to want to be aware of. First, drinking in excess has been shown to drop testosterone levels acutely. Knowing how important testosterone is to building muscle, any significant lowering of the hormone is going to be a problem if you are looking to grow more muscle. Not only that, but heavy alcohol consumption also affects how protein is processed by the body. Alcohol has been shown to have a blunting effect on muscle protein synthesis which means that your body is not converting the protein you are eating into new muscle.

So, is drinking alcohol killing your gains? Well, like in many other instances, it depends. You have to be mindful of how much you are drinking as well as what food choices you are making when you are drinking alcohol.

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[domdtotheom]

Nah don't drink Jeff. It's not weird, it's very respectable that you don't need vices to be a cool dude. I think it's a great accomplishment to live your whole life without drinking. You're a great role model

[helpfulcommenter]

I'd like to vote for Jeff NOT drinking anything, no matter how many comments come in... I respect and admire Jeff for not drinking, and it would be silly to just do it for the comments/clicks/views. Don't do it Jeff - you are an inspiration to a lot of us.

[kjc]

Don’t drink bro. I was an alcoholic until I got divorced and started a new job and connected with some guys who’re into powerlifting and body building. I am now sober and continuing my journey into physical fitness and well-being. Stay safe, brother.

[ryansontz]

I'm a recovering alcoholic. And lifting and running has been a huge part of my life since I got sober almost a year ago. This video is like a reassurance for me that if I go back to the bottle, I'll lose everything I love about my new way of life.

[Silentblogger]

Recovering alcoholic here. Found out I had fatty liver disease. Was hitting the gym while drinking with the ax1 program and was seeing no gains and was losing zero weight. Finally had to go to the hospital for my liver and was told I had to stop drinking or risk liver failure.
Fast forward 8 months later and I'm at my second month of AX1 after detoxing my body, eating right, and completely quitting alcohol. I've finally been able to see that hard to lose weight around my abs, flanks, back and chin go away and finally put on enough muscle to be a solid 225.

Quitting alcohol and eating clean with the AX1 meal plan changed my life.
Thanks for your help, Jeff.

[thaamainevent]

I'd have to say, I skimmed through about 100 comments and nobody of those voted to see you drink. Alcoholics, ant-drinkers, casual drinkers and everything in between. That is amazing. You're a positive influence and people want to keep seeing you that way. Keep up the good work!

[jamesrossmusic]

Total respect for you not drinking Jeff... I was drinking wine very heavily at times and I quit going on about 2 months now and I feel much better. I wake up not feeling hung over and drained and I avoid getting a DUI. It's not worth it, I've tossed the bottle for good... I'm so glad to see that you are a non-drinker and I am also impressed to see the vast majority of your fans feeling the same way.... Thanks for the excellent presentation!!!

[herecomestheboom]

Jeff, in July 16’ at 352lbs as a beer drinker I started to educate myself on health and fitness watching your channel. I drank until Oct 16’ and had three drinks since. Lost 128lbs now at 224lbs. Thank you for all you do. BTW all four of my sons now watch you.

[Spidey_Ethan]

Living drug and alcohol free is a lifestyle to be encouraged.

While it’s usually just playful conversation and teasing, I wish the norm wasn’t to try and convince the sober people to have their first beer.

Excellent content, you two!

[salvatorepuccini]

I came to the comments to see people pushing for Jeff to have a drink and was blown away by how many people got clean from alcohol and started lifting and staying fit. I'm not a big drinker but can stand a few drinks a year and am in the process of moving to the gym after outgrowing my at home gym

[AM-qhex]

Don’t drink Jeff… you are the inspiration. Stick to your principles and do not succumb to peer pressure 💪🏼

[christophercampbell]

Question for Jeff - if you spend a fair amount of time doing other physical activities besides lifting, how do you prioritize lifting? For instance, going climbing 3x a week or playing a sport, etc...

[emeryrowand]

Thanks Jeff and Jessie. This was a great video. Appreciate you showing us, in a fun way, better ways to get the gains we want while enjoying our social life

[Benjadaka]

This was a great episode! Thank you for covering this common issue. You two are the perfect pair, too, kudos on mixing things up with the science and the comedy 😆

[paullemay]

I stopped drinking alcohol 26 years ago and lost almost 50lbs. I feel way better. At 61 I feel like early 40’s. 🇨🇦💪

[jamesjones]

Jeff, as a non-drinker who is constantly asked to justify his choice, and is oftentimes treated as a social curiosity because of it, I implore you not to give in to pressure--from Jesse, or from anyone else. If you don't want to drink, don't do it. DO keep up the stellar work, though. 💪

[almurray]

I've only recently found this channel and I'm loving it. You two work so well together, really awesome work.

[charlottesmith]

i do drink but when I take months off I think it's pretty clear how beneficial it is to my health. more motivated, faster recovery, sleep better, spend less, eat healthier. you rock, Jeff! definitely don't start drinking, especially if you've come this far!! it's really inspiring :)

[naqibahmedprotik]

tons of respect for you Jeff. You are a REAL role model for fitness industry. And never compromise with your principle not even for a million comments.

[pricelessthundercunt]

I'm at rehabilitation atm for alcoholism and just saw this. Thank's Jeff 🙏🏻