Pistachio, it has to do with protein synthesis when you drink Alcohol or something like that. I still drink a few beers on the weekend though.
The key word here is "prolonged" or chronic. Prolonged or chronic alcohol consumption will result in the followings:
1. Body fat increases
Alcohol has no nutritional value. Rather, it is full of calories. This increases one's calorie content and disrupts the Kreb's cycle. The result is poor metabolism as the body shifts to try and digest the alcohol. Poor metabolism leads to fat deposition which disrupting the bodybuilding process.
2. Dehydration
Alcohol intake causes dehydration of the muscle cells. Such cells have difficulty with the absorption of nutrients crucial to muscle growth and relaxation such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and iron.
Hangovers reduce the concentration and intensity of the workout sessions.
Protein synthesis is also affected by more than 20%. This directly harbors muscle growth.
Further, dehydrated muscles cannot engage in anabolic growth, important as it is bodybuilding.
3. Decreased testosterone levels
The higher the alcohol levels in the body, the lower the testosterone count. More surprising is the rise of estrogen level. Alcohol triggers the conversion of androgens to estrogen. High estrogen levels lead to a condition known as Gynecomastria. This is the formation of breasts in men with long histories of heavy drinking.
4. Catabolism
Long hours of heavy drinking often result in blackouts or oversleeping. This translates to one waking up late having missed one or two meals. Bodybuilders have planned out meal schedules. Missing meals triggers catabolism. This is where the body turns to its muscle tissue to obtain energy. This wastes muscle tissue hard earned in the gym.
L