The Effects Of Alcohol On Your Health

What effect does alcohol have on your health? Well, you go to the gym three times a week, never take sugar in your tea and try to eat healthily – so why can’t you get rid of that excess tummy flab? It could be down to drinking too much booze. If you think this may be the case, then check out realbuzz’s article on alcohol and calories – and find out for sure!

A hidden source of calories

With seven calories per gram and a single unit of alcohol weighing 8g, alcohol is one of the greatest hidden sources of calories in our diets. For example, that tiny splash of vodka in the bottom of the glass contains 56 calories before you even think of adding a mixer, while a pint of bitter weighs in at 175 calories, a 440ml can of premium lager at 260, and a 175ml glass of red wine (the standard pub measurement) at 115 calories. Even if you stick within the recommended maximum alcohol intake (14 units per week for women and 21 a week for men), you could be unwittingly adding 800 to 1200 liquid calories to your calorie intake! And sadly, they aren’t calories you can simply ‘burn off.’

Why is this? It’s because alcohol cannot be used directly by the muscles, and instead travels straight into the bloodstream, from where it has to be metabolised before the body can make use of more preferable fuel sources, such as carbohydrate or fat. According to the Journal of Endurance, fat-burning and protein synthesis are lowered by as much as 20% while the body is digesting and metabolising alcohol. It takes roughly an hour for each unit of alcohol to be metabolised. Consume it too regularly and research shows that alcohol will suppress fat oxidation and promote fat storage – the exact opposite of what you want! And – even worse – this excess fat tends to accumulate around the waist, thereby creating the proverbial beer belly.

Alcohol and lifestyle

It’s not just the drinks themselves that could be expanding your waistline, but the lifestyle habits that tend to go with them. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a single pre-lunch wine or beer can result in an increased calorie intake over the next 24 hours! Researchers don’t know whether this is due to an increase in appetite or a decrease in willpower and inhibitions, or a combination of the two. But most of us are familiar with that ‘Oh, what the hell!’ feeling after a few drinks, and have found ourselves chomping down crisps, curries and chips to help ‘mop up’ the excess booze! The researchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that higher alcohol consumption is associated with less healthy eating habits in general – particularly a higher intake of cholesterol, fatty acids and animal products (kebab, anyone?).

The other way booze might be affecting your body is by hampering your workouts. If you exercise the morning after a drinking session, you may experience a higher perception of effort, palpitations and a lower exercise capacity – so you probably won’t end up working as hard or as long as you normally would. (Also, you shouldn’t force yourself to exercise with a hangover as a punishment to yourself anyway. You are best off resting and drinking plenty of water or isotonic drinks until you feel better.) Equally, it’s not wise to drink straight after a heavy training session, as alcohol has been shown to interfere with muscle repair and recovery.

Drinking and staying healthy

Of course, all this doesn’t mean that you have to call time on your drinking habit, as it’s quite possible to drink moderately and remain fit and healthy. But if you are watching your weight, or attempting to lose body fat, it’s worth keeping a drink diary to see whether an inordinate percentage of your energy intake is coming from alcohol.