🧠 Alcohol & Your Body: What It Really Does to Your Health, Fitness, and Performance
“Just a few drinks won’t hurt, right?”
It’s easy to think that a couple of pints or a few glasses of wine here and there won’t derail your goals. But the truth is, even moderate alcohol intake can have a noticeable impact — not just on your fitness, but on your sleep, recovery, immunity, and long-term health.
Whether you're chasing fat loss, strength gains, or simply more energy day to day, understanding how alcohol affects your body can help you make informed choices that align with your goals.
🍷 NHS Guidelines: What Counts as “Too Much”?
The NHS recommends:
No more than 14 units per week
Spread over three or more days
With several alcohol-free days each week
🧠 What does 14 units look like?
~6 medium glasses of wine (175ml)
~6 pints of 4% beer
💪 How Alcohol Affects Fitness & Performance
Even occasional drinking can disrupt your training efforts. Here’s how:
🧱 1. Slower Muscle Recovery
Alcohol reduces muscle protein synthesis, which is how your body builds and repairs muscle after training. A study published in PLOS ONE found that alcohol can reduce this process by up to 37%, even when protein is consumed post-workout.
🚫 2. Dehydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, increasing fluid loss and reducing hydration. Dehydration leads to:
Increased muscle cramps
Reduced strength and endurance
Poorer recovery time
😴 3. Poor Sleep = Poor Performance
Even if alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, it disrupts REM sleep, the stage most critical for mental and physical recovery. Poor sleep affects:
Reaction time
Motivation
Hormone balance
Muscle repair
🧠 4. Energy & Focus
Alcohol affects blood glucose and liver function, making energy levels unpredictable. It also impacts:
Cognitive function (e.g., decision-making mid-workout)
Motor control
Coordination — all essential for both endurance and strength sports
🦠 The Impact on Your Immune System
Alcohol weakens your body’s ability to defend itself. Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows that regular or excessive intake can:
Lower white blood cell function
Impair your gut barrier, increasing inflammation
Make you more vulnerable to colds, viruses, and infections
If you're frequently under-recovering from workouts or picking up bugs easily, alcohol could be a hidden culprit.
🔄 Fat Loss, Hormones & Alcohol
🍔 Calories That Don’t Count (But Definitely Do)
Alcohol has 7 kcal per gram, but your body can’t store it, so it prioritises burning it — halting fat metabolism in the meantime.
2 glasses of wine = ~300 kcal
3 pints of lager = ~600 kcal
That’s more than most post-workout meals.
🧪 Hormonal Disruption
Alcohol reduces testosterone and increases cortisol, the stress hormone — a combo that makes it harder to build muscle and easier to store fat, especially around the midsection.
🧠 Mental Clarity, Mood & Motivation
Even light drinking can:
Reduce motivation to train
Increase feelings of fatigue and stress
Lead to skipped sessions or low-quality workouts
✅ What Happens When You Cut Back?
Even small reductions can lead to noticeable improvements:
Better energy and mood
Improved sleep and digestion
Easier fat loss
Stronger immune system
More consistent training output
The NHS “Drink Free Days” app can help track and reduce weekly intake gradually.
🔁 Real Talk: You Can’t Out-Train Alcohol
You might “work it off,” but you can’t undo the hormonal and recovery disruption alcohol causes.
We're not saying go teetotal — but if you're serious about performance or fat loss, it’s worth understanding the trade-off.
⚙️ Coached FITT Tips for Managing Alcohol & Progress
🍺 Avoid drinking near training sessions
💧 Hydrate before and after drinking
🥗 Eat protein and whole foods to reduce cravings and blood sugar crashes
📅 Plan alcohol-free blocks (e.g., 2+ weeks) to feel the difference
🧠 Final Thoughts: Your Body, Your Call
Alcohol isn’t “bad” — but if you're hitting plateaus in your progress or constantly feeling run down, it's worth looking at your intake with honest eyes. Whether you’re training for a triathlon or just want to feel more energised, reducing alcohol can be a powerful move toward better health.