Alcohol x Gains - Is There a Safe Dose?

If you are going to the gym focusing on your gains, you might find a dilemma: should I drink alcohol? Or even, CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL AT ALL? How will it impact my gains? Is it better to drink a little bit every day or go heavy in one day only?

So, what actually happens when you drink alcohol?

It takes a little bit of time to get into your bloodstream - 5 minutes. Yep, after 5 minutes, the alcohol is already changing your skills, reflexes, mood, and everything. In 30 minutes it can get to its peak.

So let's imagine you drinking a tequila - ahiba, abajo, al centro, adentro!

One shot will provide you with something around 30ml of pure alcohol. The problem is that it takes around 2 seconds to drink this shot. If you are going to have the same amount but in beers, it would take way longer (that's why you might think tequila makes you crazier, but it is not about being crazier, it is about getting crazy quicker).

As it takes 30 minutes to get to its peak, by that time you already had your second - maybe even third, dose - when you will be already higher than The Shard.

It will remain in your body for 6-8 hours minimum (after your last drink) and even the symptoms might remain there (like nausea, dizziness, etc) - and we know it can even last for more than 24h.

Ok, let's talk about the GAINZZZ

We all know that without testosterone, there is no muscle gain (I am not talking about steroids, I am talking about the natural testosterone you have in your body). You can't even maintain muscle mass without testosterone. And to produce testosterone, we need cholesterol (which will be impacted by Vitamin B3 to be converted on testosterone).

Alcohol will consume this Vitamin B3, which stops your body from converting cholesterol into testosterone. Daily alcohol consumption - even in moderate or low doses - will highly decrease your muscle gain.

Also, as alcohol increases very quickly the production of a substance called dopamine - which makes you very happy and euphoric. In the same way, it will fall abruptly afterward and then another substance called prolactin will be produced. In women, this substance is responsible for producing breastmilk, but men also have it and, as it inhibits the production of a hormone called luteinizing hormone, which makes testosterone, your testosterone levels will be compromised.

So, drinking alcohol continuously is way worse than drinking one or 2 doses on the weekend with your friends - you won't lose your shape probably. Of course, the best thing to do would be avoiding it and having enough doses that don't get you crazy. We all have a different sensibility to alcohol and knowing yours will be the first step to understand your limits.

Hope it helps you and keep yourself focused.