EXERCISE TIPS & TRICKS

ALCOHOL AND FITNESS GOALS 

How does alcohol impact our health and fitness?

Alcohol inhibits the breakdown of nutrients into usable molecules by decreasing secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas.

Alcohol impairs nutrient absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestines and disabling the transport of some nutrients into the blood.

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Alcohol is an inflammatory substance, meaning it tends to cause swelling in the body. This can be heightened when mixed with sugary or carbonated mixers resulting in gas, discomfort and bloating. This is especially common in those with digestive related disorders or syndromes.

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Alcohol is broken down by the liver which can deal with up to 7g per hour. When you go over that magic number, the alcohol goes into circulation and affects brain and cognitive functioning.

Alcohol affects appetite acutely. Studies have shown people eat up to 30% more after drinking. Alcohol also affects how much you eat after you’re full. There is now evidence to suggest alcohol might stimulate nerve cells in the brain's hypothalamus, increasing appetite.

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Can I drink and reach my goals?

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Absolutely, but MODERATION is the key here.

If you’re going out at the weekends and getting completely plastered, it’s going to create a barrier between you and your goal.

On a population level, moderate drinking doesn’t make people gain weight (if weight loss is your goal). But once alcohol is removed from the picture, it takes away the calories consumed after drinking, along with the calories from the alcohol itself.

The french for example eat a very high-fat diet with fine wine and champagne. But on a population level, they have low levels of obesity. This is because they consume food, drink and alcohol in moderation.

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How can we minimise the effects of alcohol?

Hydrate! Try to rehydrate before you go to bed after a drinking session. Combine sodium with your liquids to ensure your body retains the fluid. When we drink alcohol, our bodies release an antidiuretic hormone which causes us to pee everything out without retaining any extra water we have drunk.

This is where sports drinks with added electrolytes come into play as this will help with hydration by retaining the liquids. Milk is a fantastic option if you can stomach it as is it full of electrolytes, protein, carbs, nutrients, sodium and hydrates you.

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Visual and cognitive performance are affected by alcohol so it’s best to avoid powerlifting or any strenuous activity after drinking. Try to manage your expectations by doing a workout on the day you plan to drink, and stick to a walk the day after.

There are actually no physiological effects the next day which cause people hungover 'cravings'. In this scenario, it might seem harsh but it depends here on how important your goals are.

If you know you tend to eat a ton of junk after drinking, try to pre-plan your eating before and manage your food environment. Make a yummy healthy meal ahead of time to ensure the less nutritious choice isn’t an option.

TIME TO STOP DEMONISING DAIRY?

The break down on dairy foods

For the past couple of years, I have pushed a dairy-free diet after being incorrectly diagnosed with a dairy intolerance. I thought dairy was a ‘bad’ food (there are no good and bad foods) which ruined my skin, made me bloat, and was filled with puss (?? Ikr).

I have since faced a number of gut issues which have required me to meet with dieticians, nutritionists, gastroenterologists etc. Meeting with these professionals along with my own research and education has educated me on the benefits of dairy foods, and why we should all include them in our diets (if possible). 👩‍⚕️

Now for those who know me well, you will know I can easily pack away a huge amount of yoghurt in a day, amongst other dairy products (a tea/coffee w my morning workout ALWAYS). ☕️ I wanted to speak about the benefits of consuming dairy products, as far too many ‘fads’ demonise such a nutritious food group! I always hear people preaching the same ‘dairy makes you gain weight’ (no it won’t!!), ‘dairy is bad for you’ so wanted to share my thoughts/research on the food group as I personally have found it super beneficial throughout my fitness journey. 🏋️‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Whilst I understand dairy intolerance is the reality for a lot of people (a third of adults in the UK), the rest of us can really benefit from include at least two servings of dairy in our diets each day. 🧋😋

I broke my foot during spin class a couple of years ago due to my restrictive diet at the time, there was zero dairy in my diet. 🚴‍♀️ It’s vital we nourish our bodies for everyday living, but especially for sport performance to avoid injury. All ethics aside, here is why dairy can be beneficial….

Dairy foods, i.e milk, is one of the most nutritionally complete foods. This means the nutritional contents far out weights the calorie costs. Dairy foods have a complete animo acid profile – It is rich in all 9 essential amino acids which we HAVE to get from out foods as our bodies cannot produce these. These activate the enzymes responsible for building muscle among other things (repair, digestion etc).

Dairy is a fantastic source of calcium and protein which is essential for our muscles and bones. Milk is a particularly high quality protein. We need good sources of protein to prevent disability, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), osteoporosis (weakening of the bone) and frailty when we age.

What we do early in life affects our muscles and our bones in later life. Consumong high levels of protein helps to slow the rate at which our tissue breaks down in our body. This ensures our tissue mass remains as strong as possible.

Other benefits include:

Dairy contains high levels of potassium which is required to break down our food for absorption and lowers blood pressure.

It contains vitamins B2 B5 and B12 which helps with our energy levels and support our immune and nervous system.

Dairy supports good skin health as it contains such a plethora of nutrients.

Iodine to support thyroid function.

Contains protein to support all our cells and tissue.

Milk is affordable and nutritious, especially for recovery as it is a source of protein, carbs and contains electrolytes. It’s favorited by dieticians and governing bodies (Australian Institute of Sport for example). It’s far more cost effective than fancy protein bars, sorry Grenade!

But what about hormones? Fortunately this isn’t something we need to worry about. We have legislation in the UK which makes it illegal for dairy farmers to pump their cows with hormones.

The same foes for antibiotics. Cows, in the same way as we do, get sick so are put on antibiotics HOWEVER these cows are taken out of circulation whilst they are sick meaning their milk whilst on antibiotics never reach circulation.

Sources:

Renee McGregor - Debate or Cult: The Clean Eating Movement https://reneemcgregor.com/2018/01/debate-or-cult-the-clean-eating-movement/

Scott Baptie - Food for fitness, https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/is-milk-good-or-bad/?fbclid=IwAR2_jxr1NbxbuZWs845JXQR06HYM_QJ_1JWzmUHXbi4SBGZb0T6VimEB8_Y

Rhiannon Lambert - Food for thought, should we ditch dairy?