Some thoughts:
I would like to see a study where the subject drinks a few drinks spread over a couple hours, also 2-3 hours minimum after training, like would be more "real world applicable." Who finishes training and then slams three drinks one after the next 20 minutes after? Some people, somewhere, sometimes, sure. But I think it's safe to say that most people who care about their gainz don't. I'm not saying that alcohol doesn't affect training. Of course it does. The study design seems a little odd to me in this respect though.
I've posted this article a few times in older threads, and it's getting to be a few years old, but it has some additional data at least.
Menno's conclusions:
-alcohol is worse for your gainz if you're a male because alcohol + testes do not seem to go well together (somewhat ironically)
-alcohol probably isn't going to make a significant dent in your gains unless you get basically blackout drunk and/or chronically drink something like 3-4+ drinks a day (give or take)
Interestingly, he cites data that shows the hormonal impact of drinking too much is similar to bodybuilders cutting for a contest.
Edit: also interestingly, he cites a study that shows that short term drinking
increased testosterone. Not here promoting booze as a post-workout, but it's interesting nonetheless.
Life is full of choices. You want alcohol and you want gains, but alcohol hurts your gains. To decide if alcohol’s worth it for you, you need to know how bad the damage is. We did the research. Here’s the answer. As with any good story, we should start at the beginning. And just like life...
mennohenselmans.com
Let me be clear that I'm not in here trying to get y'all to drink more. It's probably not a great idea to drink if you have some professinal athletic events in your near future, but it doesn't seem like it's "killing your gains" to have a good time once in a while. Menno does take the time to say that if you're drinking close to or at the double digits (meaning around 10 or more) on a frequent or near daily basis, you likely have more pressing problems than losing your gains.
I avoid drinking very often, but will have some weekend drinks from time to time. I actually think the stress relief they provide does me good, based on how I feel. I don't get hammered, mind you. It's usually like two beers or something.
journals.lww.com
