Post Workout Beer?

So, what are the opinions about using alcohol of some sort in conjunction with a postworkout carb jolt?

Sugar makes up almost all of an alcoholic drink’s macronutrients. Alcohol seems to facilitate circulation, which may be good for circulating nutrients.

Obviously I am not talking about going on a binge. I am thinking having a protein shake with some fast carbs (I like a tablespoon of honey; in the past I found apple juice was nice too, especially when I am doing creatine) and then after a beer or glass of wine.

Any thoughts?

While I am not a diet nazi and enjoy alcohol once or twice a week myself, using as a workout “aid” isn’t going to work. Alcohol has been shown time and time again to stunt muscle growth. Sugar makes up little of most beer’s macronutrient profile, most of it is fermented out (some of the heavier ales however, this doesn’t apply). Most of the calories come from the alcohol itself, and those are stored as fat.

Alcohol negatively affects T levels; not exactly what you’re looking for ina PWO.

I have heard about it negatively affecting T levels, but I have also heard it might have a positive effect on them. Sorry I know I am being very vague. Just something I read on another post around here recently was along the lines of “On the one hand they may hurt T levels because of X action, but they may support them because of Y action”.

I did not realize the alcohol itself was the source of most of the calories. I will have to look and see if I can figure out why the alcohol calories would be neccesarily stored as fat.

Can you elaborate on it stunting muscle growth?

I had just been thinking that post-workout might be the best place to stick a drink, if alcohol is to fit into a healthy lifter’s menu at all. Intuitively, given the place alcohol has had in history, it would seem that surely it can fit in somewhere.

Thanks for the feedback.

Alcohol basically stunts protein synthesis and shuts down a lot of other metabolic pathways, or at least decreases them.

Increasing or decreasing test levels is negligible when we’re talking about getting nutrients that should be getting into the muscles shuttled away instead.

Maybe a single glass of red wine a few hours after workout.

Your better off drinking soda then beer PWO in my opinion.

[quote]itsthetimman wrote:
Alcohol basically stunts protein synthesis and shuts down a lot of other metabolic pathways, or at least decreases them.

Increasing or decreasing test levels is negligible when we’re talking about getting nutrients that should be getting into the muscles shuttled away instead.[/quote]

Exactly, the body is busy dealing with the POISON you just put into it.

The calories do, in fact, come from the alcohol mostly.

7 Calories to the gram and it’s almost always stored as fat.

Seems like a bad idea. And as far as T levels go, one drink probably won’t affect anything.

[quote]itsthetimman wrote:
Alcohol basically stunts protein synthesis and shuts down a lot of other metabolic pathways, or at least decreases them.

Increasing or decreasing test levels is negligible when we’re talking about getting nutrients that should be getting into the muscles shuttled away instead.[/quote]

Don’t listen to this guy. He is a preachers son. This is simply anti-fun propaganda.

[quote]itsthenickman wrote:
itsthetimman wrote:
Alcohol basically stunts protein synthesis and shuts down a lot of other metabolic pathways, or at least decreases them.

Increasing or decreasing test levels is negligible when we’re talking about getting nutrients that should be getting into the muscles shuttled away instead.

Don’t listen to this guy. He is a preachers son. This is simply anti-fun propaganda. [/quote]

Well, alcohol is the devil’s drink, but this is neither the time nor place to discuss that.

Have you been reading stuff from Arnold?

Beer and weed?

Beer as a social treat and not as a work out enhancement…

Sometimes after a particularly hard workout drinking a cold bottle of beer in a hot shower just hits the spot for me, you don’t need to try and justify it to yourself nutritionally or otherwise, we’re all human and beer is good glug glug glug…

I’d say the beer thing works if you:

  1. Mix/blend it with some yummy protein powder
  2. Add your 5g of Creatine
  3. Use it to down some BCAAs and maybe some Alpha Male