Alcohol for Athletes?

Drinking Alcohol…. GOOD or BAD for ATHLETES?

I NEVER like to be black or white about anything, but I do like people to be informed so that they can make their own decision whether it works for them or not. 

Here are some facts:

Alcohol holds very little nutritional value to athletes. It is high in calories (about 100 calories in 1.5 oz shot glass) and is unable to be converted to glycogen which then typically gets stored as fat. Your body stops absorbing other nutrients or food while trying to convert alcohol and get it out of the body. So because your food (nourishment) goes to waste, you need to increase your conditioning to keep up with the extra empty calories.

All the health benefits that alcohol may or may not have can be obtained from other foods or herbs without the negatives mentioned in this post. It inhibits the usage or absorption of vital nutrients (B1, B12, folic acid and zinc). Consuming up to 5 drinks in one night can affect you for up to three days and two consecutive nights and this can affect you for up to five days. It affects your ability to form memories (compromises the hippocampus), which means it slows your learning process because if you can’t form new memories, you can’t learn. It dehydrates you, and as a result, it inhibits your performance conversion of energy, and slows your body’s ability to heal itself. It decreases your body’s secretion of HGH by up to 70 percent (helps up repair and build muscle). Am I saying not drink ever? No. I am saying be (or stay) informed and decide if it works for you, and how often you can afford to drink alcohol.

#askcristie #alcohol #nutrition #weekend #facts #friday