Can a little alcohol be healthy for lifters?
Can a little alcohol be healthy for lifters?
For decades, thanks to observational studies suggesting a J-shaped curve, light drinking was thought to have some protective benefits for the heart, where a small amount supposedly lowered cardiovascular disease risk. However, that narrative collapses when you actually account for confounding lifestyle factors.
As a Greek man originating from the island of Crete, alcohol is something that runs deep in my cultural heritage. From alcohol being the go-to way to celebrate any occasion, to sketchy traditions where you’re forced to drink as a sign of respect, to my grandfather producing his own wine for decades, alcohol has always been around in my life. For years I heard the good ole “a little alcohol may actually be good for you,” either at family meals or by random people when discussing health-related topics.
But is that actually true or just something people want to believe?
For decades, thanks to observational studies suggesting a J-shaped curve, light drinking was thought to have some protective benefits for the heart, where a small amount supposedly lowered cardiovascular disease risk.
However, that narrative collapses when you actually account for confounding lifestyle factors.
A massive UK Biobank analysis (>300,000 people) using nonlinear Mendelian randomization found that the cardioprotective effects of light alcohol seem to disappear after adjusting for just lifestyle factors, including smoking, BMI, activity, vegetable intake, red meat intake, and self-reported health. All amounts of alcohol consumption were associated with increased cardiovascular risk, with light alcohol intake showing minor increases, while heavier consumption produced exponential increases in hypertension and coronary artery disease risk. Beyond heart health, genetic data showed that alcohol intake increased blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, a marker of alcohol related liver stress, with all of these changes worsening in a dose-dependent, nonlinear fashion.
A similar net-negative effect is also observed when we examine the effects of alcohol on lifting performance/adaptations.
Based on a 2023 narrative review, for strength, high alcohol doses (~1g per kg) consistently appear to reduce strength 24 to 60 hours after training, whereas lower alcohol doses (~0.5g per kg) show no clear effect. When it comes to power output, there appear to be no meaningful differences in explosive performance, like vertical jump, in some studies between alcohol and placebo groups. That said, it’s important to note that we’re talking about short-term studies, not the long-term effects of drinking on strength and power adaptations. However, when it comes to anabolic signaling, alcohol appears to significantly reduce mTORC1 phosphorylation, which is responsible for initiating muscle protein synthesis.
So what does all of this mean in practice?
Alcohol appears to provide zero cardiovascular protection, with increased risks starting even at low levels of intake and becoming worse with higher intakes. Although occasional light post-training drinking will likely not kill your gains, heavier drinking can have a negative impact on recovery and anabolic signalling.
Overall, enjoying a drink occasionally isn’t going to destroy your gains or your heart health, but frequent or heavy drinking is likely to be a net negative for your health and gains.
If you want to learn more about drinking and how it affects body composition, feel free to check out this episode of the Stronger By Science Podcast.
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Pak Androulakis-Korakakis
Pak Androulakis Korakakis works with Stronger By Science as a Content & Product Manager. As a researcher, Pak did his PhD on "the minimum effective training dose for powerlifting strength" and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Applied Muscle Development Lab at Lehman College in New York City where he researches all things strength and hypertrophy related. As a coach, Pak works with individuals of all sporting and professional backgrounds, from beginner lifters to competitive strength and physique sports athletes.
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