The body fit training expert reveals why drinking alcohol is ruining your training efforts

A fitness expert revealed how to drink alcohol destroys your effort and progress after a workout as dry July reaches half in Australia.

Mackenzie Blakey, Program and Research Director for Body fit training in Sydneytold Daily Mail Australia that alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce performance, impair muscle development and increase the risk of injury during exercise.

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

This ultimately hampers progress towards your fitness goals by making it more difficult lose weight or build muscle.

Mackenzie Blakey, program and research manager for Body Fit Training in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia that alcohol consumption has been shown to decrease performance, impair muscle development and increase the risk of injury during exercise

The effects of alcohol ultimately get in the way of achieving your fitness goals and almost undo what you’re trying to achieve during a workout

How Does Alcohol Affect Your Body and Delay Fitness Goals?

Ms Blakey said alcohol interferes with efficient energy use and processing during exercise, causing your body to work harder to produce a lower result.

“Alcohol consumption alters your energy source, which is used by working skeletal muscles, reducing energy supply and impairing metabolic processes,” she said.

“It also decreases the rate of protein production and muscle fiber recruitment.”

If these bodily functions and systems aren’t working optimally, you’ll feel worse when you exercise after drinking alcohol, and you’re likely to achieve very little after a workout.

Thousands of Australians sign up every year to raise money for cancer research by dropping the drink for “Dry July”.

How Does Alcohol Affect Muscle Growth?

Whether you’re trying to burn fat, build muscle, or keep fit, alcohol essentially increases the time it takes to reach fitness goals.

“Muscle growth is dependent on both hypertrophy training and adequate nutrition, including adequate protein intake – alcohol consumption affects both,” Ms Blakey said.

She added that on a night out when alcohol is consumed, it’s often paired with fast food that’s high in fats and carbs and low in protein.

“A night of heavy drinking is also generally associated with poor sleep and dehydration,” she said.

“Hydration and sleep are important aspects of hypertrophy training because adjustments occur at rest before the training session.”

“So not only does alcohol negatively impact performance and the ability to train efficiently, it also impacts the resulting gains.”

Whether you’re trying to burn fat, build muscle, or keep fit, alcohol essentially increases the time it takes to reach fitness goals

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

You should avoid exercising if you are dehydrated or hungover as it can lead to injury.

Ms Blakey said dehydration puts a strain on various body systems, which increases your heart rate and increases your risk of fatal outcomes.

“Dehydration impairs cognitive function, increases cardiovascular stress, alters metabolic function and leads to changes in central nervous system function,” she said.

“This causes your exercise heart rate to rise more sharply and impairs your body’s ability to regulate homeostasis, exposing body systems to higher levels of stress.”