Ditching the booze can be difficult, but it is good for your health and positions your body better to reap the rewards of each workout you do. Here are the ways alcohol affect your fitness lifestyle:
Dehydration and muscle fatigue
Alcohol is a diuretic which drains water from the body. Most hangovers are caused by dehydration as water not only helps to keep your body healthy but also regulate your body’s temperature. If you drink alcohol, you will sweat more when working out and your temperature will rise. This will make exercising uncomfortable. Besides, alcohol causes muscle fatigue. Your growth hormones are lost as well and recovering after a workout will take a long time because you have lost your building and repairing muscles.
Sugar spikes and reduced metabolism
Alcohol has a lot of sugar and rapidly becomes glucose when it enters your system. You will have a lot of sugar spikes which can lead to bloating and water retention, none of which aids a smooth workout session. Avoid wines, cocktails, etc. when you plan to exercise. Also, because alcohol stresses the digestive system, your intestines become slack. The rate at which your body absorbs nutrients is slow and this limits metabolism. You should opt for foods high in nutrients to help your metabolism.
Unhealthy cravings and reduced performance
You get hit with the barrage of unhealthy cravings for high-fat foods after drinking alcohol. This causes your body to be sluggish and that means working out will be tough. Also, drinking alcohol negatively affects your performance in all you do. it slows down your body’s functioning and impairs your judgement. Most of these functions are important for your full engagement in all you do, but alcohol deadens them. As such, it could cost you your workout session, your relationships or work. Another factor that can reduce your performance is not using the right gear. Hence, it is advisable to read fitness services reviews to know what fitness products you will need to achieve your fitness goals and where to get them.
Negative impact on weight loss and damaged lower testosterone
Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories with little to no nutritional value. If you are looking to lose or manage your weight and you take to drinking alcohol, you are setting yourself back on your weight loss journey. most times, a lot of people mix sugary liquids with alcohol to sweeten the taste. However, this stops the process of burning fat and leaves you right back where you started. It also destroys the powerful fat loss tool in your body, testosterone. Instead of drinking to be sedated by alcohol, try going for a run. If you need something sharp, you could try healthy herbs and spices instead.
To stay healthy and keep fit, you must know your healthy moderate level for drinking alcohol. Research shows that people who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to be obese compared to non-drinkers. If you must drink alcohol, avoid high-calorie alcohol. You can read reviews about companies that produce and sell alcoholic drinks such as Beer52 reviews to know how healthy their drinks are and how much of it you should consume. Mind what you mix and what you take at parties. You can opt for healthier umbrella cocktail drinks. Smoothies will do a lot of good too. If you are battling alcoholism, fitness is a great tool for it.