Alcohol effects on muscle growth

**illwillogical** · 11-30-2008, 01:06 AM

I was just wanting to know how detrimental alcohol is on building muscle. I know it can't be too bad as long as you don't do it everyday, because I built a lot of muscle when I used to get trashed every Friday and Saturday night. I started a Test E cycle Nov 10, and I have been doing my best not to drink, tonight the 29th I had 2 light beers. I would just like to know if anyone has any studies on this handy?

**football3355** · 11-30-2008, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by illwillogical

I was just wanting to know how detrimental alcohol is on building muscle. I know it can't be too bad as long as you don't do it everyday, because I built a lot of muscle when I used to get trashed every Friday and Saturday night. I started a Test E cycle Nov 10, and I have been doing my best not to drink, tonight the 29th I had 2 light beers. I would just like to know if anyone has any studies on this handy?

Im not completely sure, but i can say that as long as you keep alchohol in moderation and dont drink too much, it wont be that hazardous to your gains. Now getting trashed every Friday and Saturday night isnt too smart, and im suprised you built muscle on that regimen. But a few light beers once a week if that, you should be fine. But trashed two days out of the weeks is something im sure me and alot of other people on this board wouldnt chance. Especially just incase they are running orals. Not to smart overall. If you're using AAS that means you are pretty serious about building muscle, id stick to that mindset and not get off track by getting faded

**illwillogical** · 11-30-2008, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by football3355

Im not completely sure, but i can say that as long as you keep alchohol in moderation and dont drink too much, it wont be that hazardous to your gains. Now getting trashed every Friday and Saturday night isnt too smart, and im suprised you built muscle on that regimen. But a few light beers once a week if that, you should be fine. But trashed two days out of the weeks is something im sure me and alot of other people on this board wouldnt chance. Especially just incase they are running orals. Not to smart overall. If you're using AAS that means you are pretty serious about building muscle, id stick to that mindset and not get off track by getting faded

I know a lot of young guy's that workout during the week and party every Friday and Saturday night, and still look great and get bigger. I am pretty serious about my cycle, so that is one of the reasons I haven't been drinking, I plan on running at least 12 weeks though maybe 16 if the gains are still coming, so I would like to get trashed maybe once a month, it's kind of all or nothing for me, I did well just drinking 2 beers tonight, I usually drink by the pitcher lol!

**Royal MaKo Rumble** · 11-30-2008, 01:51 AM

just stay off it simple, then u wont have to worry about impinging gains, its only 12 weeks then piss up!! make it a reward for those 12 weeks of discipline

**nhl1** · 11-30-2008, 01:57 AM

On this forum - for the most part - you're going to get the same response: dont drink!

However, in reality, here is what I have found with regards to alcohol and muscle.

1. Drinking while on cycle does not decrease your hormone levels, because you are manually inserting them yourself, so you don't have too worry about lower test levels - providing you're taking test of course.

2. The liver is what breaks down proteins into the amino acids and sends them on their way towards feeding muscles. While your liver is filtering alcohol, you cannot break down protein, so all of it gets stored as fat.

3. Drinking will cause dehydration and can disturb sleep patterns. Since your body needs water and sleep to grow, this can be detrimental.

4. Taking hardcore orals and drinking heavily isn't smart - even I won't argue with that. If you're going too I would recommend a lot of milk thistle and a lot of rest.

So in my experiences, the amount of alcohol you consume should be dependent on how rapidly you recover from it. If you get bombed and become worthless for the next 3 days - such as I do, don't do it.

If you can drink heavily and just chill the entire next day, using that as a rest day while you slouch on the couch piling in food, water, and protein, go for it.

Also, don't ever drink within 6 hours of a workout (preferably don't drink that day) or you will have pretty much just wasted all of that work that you put in.

In the end though its your life so F'n enjoy it. Unless you are a professional body builder, the whole point of taking steroids is most likely to increase your own self image so that you feel more confident in social situations. Since the majority of social situations regarding adults of 21+ years takes place in drinking scenarios, then yes, go fu*king drink as much as you like and have a good time with it.

I don't know many guys that want to get as big as they can just so that can sit at home living out protein-fueled fantasies in their own minds about how much better they are than everyone else because while others waste their pathetic lives away by having fun they are ingesting every gram of protein they can on the hour.

If they are, and there are plenty of those guys on here, they're f*cking wierdos. People want muscle to feel powerful and improve their self image. You might as well go out and enjoy the lingering stares and winces of jealously you recieve from the fruits of your labor.

**nhl1** · 11-30-2008, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Royal MaKo Rumble

just stay off it simple, then u wont have to worry about impinging gains, its only 12 weeks then piss up!! make it a reward for those 12 weeks of discipline

Except of course that when you're off the juice, you're once again relying on your bodies natural production of hormones to sustain muscle.

Anyone who reads my aforementioned post will notice that alcohol is detrimental to this.

So drinking on cycle will not cause you to lose any muscle, except that while alcohol is in your body you won't be growing.

Drinking heavily off cycle will drastically reduce your bodys ability to produce the neccessary ingredients to sustain and build muscle.

Its a no win situation either way. So the moral of the story stands: unless you're taking hardcore orals, you're not going to do any harm. Live your life around what you want too, not a couple pounds of muscle mass.

**sm15** · 11-30-2008, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by nhl1

On this forum - for the most part - you're going to get the same response: dont drink!

However, in reality, here is what I have found with regards to alcohol and muscle.

1. Drinking while on cycle does not decrease your hormone levels, because you are manually inserting them yourself, so you don't have too worry about lower test levels - providing you're taking test of course.

2. The liver is what breaks down proteins into the amino acids and sends them on their way towards feeding muscles. While your liver is filtering alcohol, you cannot break down protein, so all of it gets stored as fat.

3. Drinking will cause dehydration and can disturb sleep patterns. Since your body needs water and sleep to grow, this can be detrimental.

4. Taking hardcore orals and drinking heavily isn't smart - even I won't argue with that. If you're going too I would recommend a lot of milk thistle and a lot of rest.

So in my experiences, the amount of alcohol you consume should be dependent on how rapidly you recover from it. If you get bombed and become worthless for the next 3 days - such as I do, don't do it.

If you can drink heavily and just chill the entire next day, using that as a rest day while you slouch on the couch piling in food, water, and protein, go for it.

Also, don't ever drink within 6 hours of a workout (preferably don't drink that day) or you will have pretty much just wasted all of that work that you put in.

In the end though its your life so F'n enjoy it. Unless you are a professional body builder, the whole point of taking steroids is most likely to increase your own self image so that you feel more confident in social situations. Since the majority of social situations regarding adults of 21+ years takes place in drinking scenarios, then yes, go fu*king drink as much as you like and have a good time with it.

I don't know many guys that want to get as big as they can just so that can sit at home living out protein-fueled fantasies in their own minds about how much better they are than everyone else because while others waste their pathetic lives away by having fun they are ingesting every gram of protein they can on the hour.

If they are, and there are plenty of those guys on here, they're f*cking wierdos. People want muscle to feel powerful and improve their self image. You might as well go out and enjoy the lingering stares and winces of jealously you recieve from the fruits of your labor.

^^completely agree. good philosophy sir

**Charger527** · 11-30-2008, 02:55 AM

Good post nhl im going to be on cycle over xmas and new years, i wont feel as bad now if i have a few

**JiGGaMaN** · 11-30-2008, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by nhl1

2. The liver is what breaks down proteins into the amino acids and sends them on their way towards feeding muscles. While your liver is filtering alcohol, you cannot break down protein, so all of it gets stored as fat.

im not sure how scientifically sound that one is.

**Charger527** · 11-30-2008, 04:58 AM

should ask muscle science what he thinks?

**T_Own** · 11-30-2008, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by football3355

Im not completely sure, but i can say that as long as you keep alchohol in moderation and dont drink too much, it wont be that hazardous to your gains. Now getting trashed every Friday and Saturday night isnt too smart, and im suprised you built muscle on that regimen. But a few light beers once a week if that, you should be fine. But trashed two days out of the weeks is something im sure me and alot of other people on this board wouldnt chance. Especially just incase they are running orals. Not to smart overall. If you're using AAS that means you are pretty serious about building muscle, id stick to that mindset and not get off track by getting faded

thats not really true.. some people use the weekend as their day off, so drinking the night before an off day isn't a problem with training. i really think the alcohol effects are blown out of proportion. a little alcohol isn't going to stop you completely. you lift 5 days a week, you only drink 2. it seems like it outweighs it pretty easily, especially with a cycle you should make gains pretty much no matter what.

not saying its a good thing, but its not the end of the world if you do from time to time.

**higherdesire** · 11-30-2008, 08:01 AM

nh1

Well said bro. I am with you. enjoy life responsibly and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I think more of us do than admit it anyways. Good job!

**Bossman** · 11-30-2008, 08:18 AM

There are several guys at my gym (younger then me) that do the club scene at least a couple of times a week. I don't think a little alcohol would hurt much. But there is more to that kind of lifestyle that is damaging to your health if you're cycling and lifting. There is no way during the night out that they're getting the food they should be on cycle (or water).Possibly not even the next day due to how they feel. Being dehydrated is a bad state to be in for a bodybuilder. Their sleep cycle is screwed up for a night or two.

To me, AAS is a very serious venture. If you're not going to be g**damned serious about it, maybe you're not ready for it. The guys I know that drink/party on cycle do not look like the few guys that take it very serious. And it seems like the drinkers just can't understand why they can't look as good as some.

**higherdesire** · 11-30-2008, 08:32 AM

With all due respect bro that isn't your call. You give great input and I respect your opinions but at the end of the day we don't all have the same goals or views and we live different lives with different goals. I can see telling someone that because they are too young, or that they haven;t learned enough yet that they aren;t ready for cycling, but to say because they like to enjoy life differently than someone else, they don;t have the right to do steroids . if they are going to do them they need to do it by your presciption of lifesyle, that is beyond what I am willing to entertain as a grown man. I drink whenver i feel like it. I work out 5 days a week like an animal. I eat a well balanced diet for the most part. I am progressing at a pace that I am comfotable with and i will continue to chemically engineer my results, thank you very much.

**Bossman** · 11-30-2008, 08:56 AM

Who said "they didn't have a right to do steroids "? You and anyone else can take any compound you choose and party every night. That's your right. But I certainly would not advise it. And I would not advise drinking to excess on cycle. If you read my post you'll notice that it's more then just drinking that can be detrimental to you gains on cycle. Anybody on here that says its ok to get sloshed a couple of times a week on cycle is giving BAD ADVICE. And, that's not just my opinion.

**higherdesire** · 11-30-2008, 10:33 AM

I agree it is not advisable to get sloshed routinely whether on or off cycle. I do not agree with the abstinence theory, nor that one can't be serious about thier body or doing aas if they choose to drink. even if getting drunk from time to time. That is all I have on this one.

**anon03191970** · 11-30-2008, 10:51 AM

This shouldn't even be open for debate.

Drinking in moderation is fine, 2 drinks per day, 5 fluid ounces of wine, 12 fluid ounces of regular beer, or 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits count as one drink for purposes of explaining moderation.

While you can go beyond moderate drinking level on occasion, under no circumstances should you EVER GET BOMBED!!!!

It just does not make sense from a cycle standpoint or a health standpoint.

**MuscleScience** · 11-30-2008, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by JiGGaMaN

im not sure how scientifically sound that one is.

Its not, proteins are broken down into their AA complement before they can be absorbed by the epithelial lining of the GI tract. In the body proteins are broken down intracellularly back into their AA complement. The liver and kidneys are responsible for the most part of the elimination of nitrogenous waste as a by product of amino acid breakdown and lost of its amine group. Although protein breakdown does occur in the liver. Only in those with severe liver cirrhosis could see muscle wasting, this is more attributed to nutritional deficiency such as thiamine (Beri-Beri)which can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

This is a good review article I had in my endnote file that you can probably find on pubmed on the issue.

Interaction between alcohol and exercise: physiological and haematological implications. El-Sayed MS, Ali N, El-Sayed Ali Z. Sports Med. 2005;35(3):257-69.

**DeputyLoneWolf** · 11-30-2008, 11:30 AM

Life is just better without smoking and drinking in my opinion lol.

**MercyDog** · 11-30-2008, 06:44 PM

If you have room for beer than your diets off,,,,,,,,thats how its been for me anyway

**MuscleScience** · 11-30-2008, 06:51 PM

I should point out that moderate alcohol consumption has shown some benefits in muscular endurance and insulin sensitivity. As well as protective mechanisms for the heart by its positive influence on HDL's.

I think we were talking about excessive consumption in this thread for the most part.

**richtries** · 11-30-2008, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by nhl1

Also, don't ever drink within 6 hours of a workout (preferably don't drink that day) or you will have pretty much just wasted all of that work that you put in.

why is that?

Originally Posted by nhl1

I don't know many guys that want to get as big as they can just so that can sit at home living out protein-fueled fantasies in their own minds about how much better they are than everyone else because while others waste their pathetic lives away by having fun they are ingesting every gram of protein they can on the hour.