The majority of us like to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer on the weekend occasionally and perhaps after a long stressful day at work which of course we see nothing wrong with at fitness flex, as we promote balanced diet and an 80/20 approach. However there are some implications to alcohol consumption to your training and performance if this becomes a regular pattern within your lifestyle. 

As alcohol is a sedative it reduces your overall bodily functions, reduces hand-eye coordination, slows down reaction times and impairs your general judgement of situations and regardless of how fit you are, these will have an effect on your performance in the gym and ability to achieve your goals. 

If your goal is weight-loss then alcohol can massively contribute to a large amount of your daily calorie allowance, leaving less room for nutrients dense foods and remain within a calorie deficit. Ultimately alcohol contains empty calories which provide no benefit to you nutritionally and therefore could be setting you back from achieving your goals. 

Did you know, that research also shows you are decreasing your bodies efficiency in muscle building and recovery by 37% which can have a huge impact on your results. Drinking alcohol after a workout will reduce the ability to heal the muscle fibres that were damaged and lead to an increase in DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness). 

So next time you consider drinking 3/4 times per week, why not have a think about what your goal is and ask yourself is it worth taking a steps backwards and letting all that hard work in the gym go to waste just for a few drinks of an evening? Instead try to reduce drinking down to a few days per week instead of only for occasions over the month. 

Interested in finding out more about our Gym in Basingstoke? Then contact us today to book a FREE consultation to discuss your goals and how we can help. Our Gym is located at Brighton Hill Parade next to ASDA in Basingstoke.