Alcohol & muscle growth

// What the research shows

In a randomized crossover study (Parr et al., 2014), 8 active men did strength training plus a cycling session and then drank either whey protein alone or a lot of alcohol on top (1.5 g per kg body weight, about 12 standard drinks). With alcohol plus protein, muscle protein synthesisMuscle protein synthesis (MPS) The building of new muscle proteins. Training and protein raise it for several hours. More in the glossary → was 24% lower than with protein alone, and with alcohol plus carbs instead of protein even 37% lower. Alcohol also provides 7 kcal per gram, which is easy to overlook when dieting.

// In practice

• On training days and after hard sessions, drink little or no alcohol.
• If you do: have a protein-rich meal first. It softens the effect somewhat but doesn't prevent it.
• Count alcohol calories: half a litre of beer has about 200 kcal.

// Limitations & open questions

The study was small, looked at a single session and used a very large amount of alcohol. How moderate, occasional drinking affects muscle growthHypertrophy (muscle growth) A muscle getting bigger, mainly through thicker muscle fibres. More in the glossary → over months is barely studied.

// Sources

• Einzelstudie 2014Parr et al. – Alcohol ingestion impairs maximal post-exercise rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis (PLOS ONE) ↗cite

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