After prolong workout we need energy drinks to refuel ourselves and for the recovery process.
Well, everyone has their own recovery routines. It may differ from supplements to the particular meals or post workout drinks like Gatorade, chocolate milk or protein shake. Choices may differ from person to person as per their interests.
But, it makes the sense as whatever you take after the intense exercise is as important as what you have done during your actual workout.
So what you need after the workout for the recovery. Your recipe should be full of proteins and carbohydrates to replenish and restore your muscles.
Now you may be wondering that beer also has these ingredients, so what’s the problem in taking a beer after a workout?
Well, you may think so but it’s not the whole truth. Just keep reading and you will get all the answers.
When we workout or lift weights we create the training stress. Then our body gets to the recovery period after this intense workout.
It does so by repairing the tissues affected while exercising, along with some hormonal processes. With enough resources and time for recovery, you will be properly recovered in time for the next workout.
Furthermore, intensive workout leads to depletion of skeletal muscles and liver’s glycogen store. Hence for refueling, you will need energy drink like beer. And that’s good if taken in the moderate amount.
But consuming beer compels your body to slow down the recovery process in order to eliminate alcohol more quickly from your body.
In fact, it forces your body to divide its resources in recovering from the stress and metabolizing the alcohol. Hence it slows down the recovery time.
Beer is not the ideal carbohydrate source that one need for the recovery. The beer has about 14 grams of the carbohydrates. And since this amount is not sufficient for the recovery from an intense workout, beer is not a good drink for recovery.
Experts say that while exercising, we lose a lot of essential vitamins, carbohydrates, and hydrating electrolytes. Beer also comes packed with sugary carbohydrates, hint of electrolytes. And it also has few beneficial plant-based nutrients which come from the yeast, hops, and barley.
But alcohol has not that good stuff and its effect is also not good on your recovery process and body. And this is the major disadvantage of taking a beer after the workout.
But it is not all bad. According to experts drinking beer in moderate amount is fine. But you also, have to take proper water, protein, and other carbohydrates to refuel.
The study says if you will exercise there are chances that you will drink also. The study suggests that people drink more alcohol during the days of their workout, especially beer. It may be due to rewarding ourselves with the post-run brewski.
Or it may be because we have spent all our energy in a workout so there is no reason in denying that drink.
But if you think it will help you in relaxing, numb your pain or improve the blood circulation then you are wrong.
Experts say that you should avoid even the lowest consumption of alcohol prior to the athletic endeavor.
This is because of the ergolytic effects of the alcohol on the endurance performance.
Ergolytic means the performance impairing. And these effects inhibits the recovery and also adaptation to exercise, according to the study.
Why not beer? First of all low content of carbohydrates and it contains alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic and its consumption will make you urinate more. And this, in turn, will lead to dehydration which will lead to detrimental effects on the muscular contraction.
Each gram of the alcohol intake increases the urine flow by two teaspoons. So here you can get the idea that 14 gram of alcohol present in 12 ounces of beer is sufficient for the dehydration.
Furthermore, alcohol interferes with the energy producing way of your body. In fact, taking all that liquor in your liver decreases the glucose levels, the sugar required to power your muscles.
Moreover, if a person runs out of it for the race, he will hit that proverbial wall and most probably will not finish the race.
Beer especially affects the fast twitch anaerobic fiber by inhibiting the enzyme which helps to fuel the muscles.
The result is that long recovery period as fibers will not adapt like they, for the next three days. Alcohol also poisons muscle fibers.
A person usually after an intense workout, like to drink alcohol, especially beer to take a better sleep.
This may be because alcohol makes us feel less pain due to the effects on nerve endings. But it is not that much beneficial as it sounds. In fact, it disturbs the sleeping pattern of the individual.
Furthermore, alcohol interferes with the post- exercise rebuilding process of your muscles by decreasing the protein synthesis.
It not only interferes with the recovery of muscle injury and damage moreover, it reduces the processes required for building muscle.
Hence, for fast recovery process and to get ready for next workout intake of essential proteins and carbohydrates is important.
Everything will go better if you will take a moderate amount of beer with other carbohydrates, water, and proper proteins.
Hence, we may conclude that beer is not bad as it is thought if taken in the proper amount. Hope the above- mentioned information is useful for you.
Also, Read :
How Much Water Should You Drink During Exercise
