Alcohol and Weight Gain: Why Excessive Drinking Can Bulk You Up the Wrong Way

This is a guest post especially written for those who are trying to gain weight but are finding it hard to stay away from all the heavy partying (which almost always equates to excessive drinking). I’m sure many of you here can totally relate or are having this issue.

I myself used to drink excessively and “get lashed off my tits” (as we call it here in Newcastle LOL!), but I’m happy to say that for a good few years now – I have rarely touched an alcoholic drink. I know it’s hard to believe but I dont miss it all and frankly I’ve never felt better.

Anyway… read this article and find out exactly why alcohol and weight gain don’t mix!

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by Thomas Warren

It’s no surprise that alcohol can cause you to gain weight.  It has a lot of calories.  Surprisingly though, this is not the major cause of weight gain.  In fact, drinking in moderation (1 can of beer, 1 glass of wine, or 1 shot of liquor per day) has been shown to help people lose weight in small amounts because it may slightly raise your metabolism and lead you to eat less sugar.  Where people tend to get into trouble with alcohol lies in the amount that they consume and, in the case of liquor, what they mix it with.  The real question is, when you’re trying to add to your calorie count in order to bulk up, why is alcohol a bad choice?

There are many ways to increase your muscle mass, but the most effective seems to be a combination of diet and exercise.  This is hardly breaking news.  While the basic principle is the same as that of an individual trying to lose weight, the mentality is just the opposite, with a diet that mandates calorie consumption in excess of what is burned off and workouts that focus primarily on weight lifting rather than cardio exercises.  What body-builders need to look out for is the way they incorporate more calories into their daily eating habits.  Just because a food or drink has high caloric value doesn’t mean it contains the nutrients you need to reach your goals, and empty-calorie consumables like alcohol can have adverse effects on your progress.

For starters, alcohol contains sugar, some of which turns into fat in your body.  But this is not the main offender where imbibing is concerned.  The problem lies in the fact that the majority of alcohol consumed converts to acetate, which your body rapidly consumes as fuel.  The result is a significant reduction in fat oxidation, or the amount of fat being burned by the body (not to mention any fats you happen to consume after drinking).

So where does that fat go?  Well, the fat that’s already there stays put, rather than being burned off.  Sadly, the fats you consume post-intoxication go straight to storage just where you’d expect – they make a beeline for trouble areas like the gut and the butt.  So if you’re trying to gain mass, alcohol will fit the bill, but most likely it will expand your girth in ways you you’d prefer not to.  In addition, boozing it up can lead you to eat more.  Alcohol increases appetite and if you’re like most people concerned with weight, you are probably on a pretty strict calorie count (albeit a high one).

In terms of how this affects your efforts to gain muscle, here’s the skinny on fat: it doesn’t really stop you from gaining muscle, but it can hide the muscle you have and reduce the impact of your six pack (especially if you alternate between bulking and cutting).  Alcohol consumption also causes some short-term side effects that can make your workouts less effective, from dehydration and decreased vitamin and mineral absorption to fatigue and loss of coordination.  When paired with a high-protein diet, it can also lead to kidney stones…not necessarily a detriment to body-building, but certainly uncomfortable and inconvenient.

The long and short of it is this: drinking in moderation is probably okay, but going overboard with liquor is a bad idea, even if you’re trying to gain weight.  You will almost certainly get more than you bargained for.  It can wreak havoc on your internal systems, mess with your metabolism, and cause you to add bulk in the most unappealing of areas.

Although it won’t exactly stop you from gaining muscle, it can negatively affect your ability to exercise and the results you achieve.  Further, it has no nutritional value, and you need to make every calorie count.  So while you’re bulking up, it’s probably best to avoid the beer bong at the party, or at least slow absorption by eating a big meal ahead of time.

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Thomas Warren is a content writer for Go College, one of the oldest and most trusted resources to guide students on how to finance and succeed in college.

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