What’s a better way to celebrate a hard-played game than by having a few drinks (provided you’re over 21)? According to a study by exercise scientists in Australia, quite a lot, especially if you want to maintain the health-related gains associated with exercise.
In the experiment, eight athletes were instructed to perform an exercise routine consisting of running intervals, aerobic cycling and weightlifting. Following the workout, the athletes were given either proteins or carbohydrates to eat and either orange juice or alcohol to drink. The alcohol was given in allotments of four shots per hour for two hours to simulate binge drinking. After consumption of these post-workout snacks, the researchers took biopsies and blood samples from the athletes.
The results, recently published in PLoS One, revealed that alcohol inhibits physiological protein synthesis. In the alcohol-protein group, total protein synthesis was reduced by 24 percent, and in the alcohol-carbohydrate group, it was reduced by 37 percent.
Protein synthesis is necessary for the recovery and repair of muscles following the damage they undergo during workout-related movements. It is this anabolic response that leads to muscle growth. Thus, by inhibiting protein synthesis, alcohol prevents proper translation of exercise-related health benefits.
It is important to note that this study was conducted with controlled, binge-drinking conditions. The authors think that the decrease in protein synthesis is similar but not as pronounced for moderate drinking after exercise. However, the alcohol dose in the study was intended to mirror the drinking habits of team athletes, as it was based on binge drinking data received from sports teams. These dramatic results may then be reflective of the actual alcohol effects in athletes. The scientists who conducted the study hope that their results will encourage safer drinking practices among athletes.
