A Musclehead's Guide to Alcohol (T-Nation article)

[chrisjs]

Thought this was interesting: http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=2490561

 

Bottom line, alcohol isn't essential for good heath, and there's no reason to think it improves your performance in anything. But at the same time, moderate drinking (up to two drinks a day) might help protect your heart without having a negative effect on your quest to look good naked.

 

If you don't already drink, there's no reason to start. And if you drink a lot, you risk a lot. But if you're a just-right drinker — you drink enough to enjoy the benefits without ever waking up with a hangover (or, worse, with a stranger who's equally hung over) — there's no reason to quit.

[liftandcode]

If you have two drinks daily, I believe you are an alcoholic. That being said, I could care less if it doesn't affect me in any way. But I doubt that it is actually healthy.

[damdaman]

For a while now, studies and articles have been published in various places claiming to prove that alcohol isn't bad for you, or that it may even be good for you. It seems that this article draws on a lot of those studies.

 

My personal opinion, speaking as someone fully qualified to say that he likes the sauce, is that alcohol is not good for you. If you're going to drink it, great, I certainly do, but going around claiming that it's healthy, even in moderate amounts, is disingenuous. Just admit that it's a vice, but you like to do it anyway. What's the big deal? Everyone likes to do some things that are bad for them. Own up to it!

 

I also do not believe that drinking two drinks a day does not impair recovery from workouts. As someone who likes to drink, and likes to work out, I notice a HUUUUUGE difference in recovery on nights that I don't drink after a workout. I wake up feeling rested, clear-headed, and full of energy. On nights that I drink after a workout, even if it's only one or two drinks, I wake up feeling grumpy, tired, and sore.

 

Anecdotal, yes, but I have heard that alcohol has a negative effect on your ability to fall into the deep sleep needed to recover well.

[veggieprincess]

For a while now, studies and articles have been published in various places claiming to prove that alcohol isn't bad for you, or that it may even be good for you. It seems that this article draws on a lot of those studies.

 

My personal opinion, speaking as someone fully qualified to say that he likes the sauce, is that alcohol is not good for you. If you're going to drink it, great, I certainly do, but going around claiming that it's healthy, even in moderate amounts, is disingenuous. Just admit that it's a vice, but you like to do it anyway. What's the big deal? Everyone likes to do some things that are bad for them. Own up to it!

 

I also do not believe that drinking two drinks a day does not impair recovery from workouts. As someone who likes to drink, and likes to work out, I notice a HUUUUUGE difference in recovery on nights that I don't drink after a workout. I wake up feeling rested, clear-headed, and full of energy. On nights that I drink after a workout, even if it's only one or two drinks, I wake up feeling grumpy, tired, and sore.

 

Anecdotal, yes, but I have heard that alcohol has a negative effect on your ability to fall into the deep sleep needed to recover well.

 

Wow... I actually agree with every single word you said here 150%

 

Love the "sauce"....don't think its good for me.... think it's a vice...think it hurts my health and workouts more than helps me by far. Couldn't agree more.

[bella]

For a while now, studies and articles have been published in various places claiming to prove that alcohol isn't bad for you, or that it may even be good for you. It seems that this article draws on a lot of those studies.

 

My personal opinion, speaking as someone fully qualified to say that he likes the sauce, is that alcohol is not good for you. If you're going to drink it, great, I certainly do, but going around claiming that it's healthy, even in moderate amounts, is disingenuous. Just admit that it's a vice, but you like to do it anyway. What's the big deal? Everyone likes to do some things that are bad for them. Own up to it!

 

I also do not believe that drinking two drinks a day does not impair recovery from workouts. As someone who likes to drink, and likes to work out, I notice a HUUUUUGE difference in recovery on nights that I don't drink after a workout. I wake up feeling rested, clear-headed, and full of energy. On nights that I drink after a workout, even if it's only one or two drinks, I wake up feeling grumpy, tired, and sore.

 

Anecdotal, yes, but I have heard that alcohol has a negative effect on your ability to fall into the deep sleep needed to recover well.

 

Wow... I actually agree with every single word you said here 150%

 

Love the "sauce"....don't think its good for me.... think it's a vice...think it hurts my health and workouts more than helps me by far. Couldn't agree more.

 

 

Same here...I agree with you both. I like a little bit of alcohol sometimes, and it doesn't take much to wear me out.

[chrisjs]

I wanted to read the first few responses before I commented at all. I've been abstaining from it for a few months now, mostly due to concern over recovery and the alcohol turning to fat. I thought it was interesting those studies actually saw no link between drinking moderately and gaining weight. Won't convince me to start a daily drinking habit though.

[slicknickns]

alcohol is not healthy. Red wine? Yes, a glass with dinner, for the heart.

 

That's not how i drink. Alcohol is for those once a week or twice a month nights when i can relax, unwind and get drunk with my buddies at a party. Alcohol is not good for you. It's for having fun.

[DaN]

Alcohol itself may not gain weight but beer/lager defiantely do.

 

I have friends who were slim, then started drinking regularily & got fat really quickly.One of them stopped drinking for a year, lost a load of weight instantly.Then he started again & guess what, got fat real quick.

 

The correlation is far too overwhelming to result in anything other than the equation:

 

drinking beer = fat man

 

 

Plus, fermenting any food stuff & turning it into an alcohol is going to be unhealthy really, imho.Drinkings good fun in small quantities, occasionally, but everyday means you are an alcoholic.

[GRardB]

I'll probably never drink any form of alcohol in my life. I'm 17, so people don't believe me, but most underestimate my dedication to health.

 

I don't see the point. It's extremely unnatural, and I see no benefits. I've never drank before, but I've had sips, and it tastes TERRIBLE. Every type of alcohol I've ever sipped made me want to vomit (except white wine once, but I'm not even sure if that was actually wine). Beer, bacardi, vodka, wine, everything! People think I'm crazy for not wanting to drink, especially at my age, but what's the point in drinking something that tastes bad and that has negative effects on your body? I see none.

 

People say they drink it for fun...I don't see the fun in drinking something that tastes bad and makes you forget half of the things that happen while you're drinking it.

 

Just my $.02

[veginator]

For a while now, studies and articles have been published in various places claiming to prove that alcohol isn't bad for you, or that it may even be good for you. It seems that this article draws on a lot of those studies.

 

My personal opinion, speaking as someone fully qualified to say that he likes the sauce, is that alcohol is not good for you. If you're going to drink it, great, I certainly do, but going around claiming that it's healthy, even in moderate amounts, is disingenuous. Just admit that it's a vice, but you like to do it anyway. What's the big deal? Everyone likes to do some things that are bad for them. Own up to it!

 

I also do not believe that drinking two drinks a day does not impair recovery from workouts. As someone who likes to drink, and likes to work out, I notice a HUUUUUGE difference in recovery on nights that I don't drink after a workout. I wake up feeling rested, clear-headed, and full of energy. On nights that I drink after a workout, even if it's only one or two drinks, I wake up feeling grumpy, tired, and sore.

 

Anecdotal, yes, but I have heard that alcohol has a negative effect on your ability to fall into the deep sleep needed to recover well.

 

I agree. "It (in moderation) protects the heart" is a poor excuse for drinking. Becoming vegan (unless you eat a really unhealthy vegan diet) virtually eliminates the risk of heart disease; drinking alcohol doesn't do anything even approaching that, and from what I've heard it depends on the type of beverage anyway. And if you're already vegan, drinking alcohol couldn't do anything for your health that being vegan hasn't already done. Plus, alcohol is a sugar, essentially. Consume enough of it and you're going to put on weight, unless you're replacing other calories with alcohol.

 

From what I recall reading, evidence about alcohol disturbing sleep quality isn't just anecdotal; it's pretty well-established. That certainly seems consistent with my experience.

 

All that said, I enjoy a glass or two of wine, margaritas, and a few other alcoholic things (not all at once ), maybe a couple of times a week. I'm glad to know research suggests that isn't that bad for me, but the evidence that it's generally good for people unless they drink a lot doesn't seem overwhelming.

[Im Your Man]

Like I already said : they say that poisons are good. There was a time they were even saying that tobacco was good and perhaps native Americans think that too, also some were claiming that dirty water had miraculous healing powers, most modern medecine are made with poisonous plants.

 

Nothing ever proved those things work or are true. Of course, some substances have some effects on the body, that inhibits other poisons. But what's the point to counter a poison with another poison if it's only to end up with another poison in the body. None of them are necessary for good health. Some say that all alcohols are good in small quantity, some other say it's only the red wine because of the antioxydants. Fermentation is poisonous and can't be compared to fresh grapes.

They say:

But at the same time, moderate drinking (up to two drinks a day) might help protect your heart without having a negative effect on your quest to look good naked.

For the positive effect, they won't say if it improve health in general, the body is a whole, it's not only a heart. And for the negative effect, they say you're still gonna be ok and look good, but is it gonna decrease longevity ?

 

There's nothing scientific in what they say and it's based on poor "scientific" experiments. A food can't be beneficial below 2 cups per day and a poison for more than 2 cups. It's either a food or a poison, can't be both at the same time. Alcoholics know it's a poison and scientists seem to ignore that.

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