Fitness advice

Beer Belly

Corie Henry

Trainer Corie Henry

Beer, wine, and spirits are a major part of our society. Many exercisers and novice athletes frequently use the excuse of a rough week of work and hard daily workouts for the need to drink. We have seen these weekend warriors hit the gym prior to meeting up with buddies at the regular watering hole. Alcohol is very popular among many sports fans. We consume beer after beer while cheering on our alma mater and favorite sports teams. This liquid courage gives us social super heroics and motivation for enticing conversation. However, alcohol seems to satisfy our immediate insecurities but has many damaging affects on our mental state, diminishes physical performance, and increases the risk of liver disease and diabetes. But who cares about disease and mental inhibitions! Face it, we have more immediate concerns such as fat loss.

Successful weight loss is simple. Burn more calories then we consume. This explains why many dieters choose low calorie alcoholic drinks. Excessive drinking has far more consequences than consuming too many calories. Not only does it reduce the number of fat calories you burn, it also increases our appetite and lower men’s testosterone levels up to 24hrs. This helps explain “beer bellies”! A portion of those calories from excessive drinking are stored as fat. The appetite increases and inhibitions decrease, therefore more calories are consumed from tasty bar food. Only 5% of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. But the major effect alcohol has is that it reduces the amount of fat you burn for energy.

The fuel the body uses is carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. But alcohol converts to another form of fuel called acetate. Here is what happens after a few drinks. The source of fuel your body uses depends on availability. Consumption of alcohol creates acetate, which is released to the blood stream as an immediate source of fuel. This fuel must be burned first before the body will burn its other fuel sources.

Testosterone is the superman of fat loss. But alcohol is its kryptonite. This anabolic hormone influences the gain of lean muscle. A decrease in testosterone means fewer muscle gains and a lower metabolic rate. Therefore the body composition becomes more of fat and less lean muscle tissue. The result is a BIG BELLY!

If you must drink and still want to conserve your figure, here are some suggestions. Choose low caloric beer, or drinks without the carbonation, and do not add juice. This will help you keep from adding extra calories. Choose one day per week to drink moderately. Control your appetite while drinking by eating a healthy meal prior to your intake of alcohol. These simple suggestions should help you control your caloric intake while drinking. And remember to always drink safely!

Corie is personal trainer in Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

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