alcohol and protein synthesis

[BoneBz]

Does anyone have any links to research done on the topic of alcohol consumption and it's effects on protein synthesis. I recall once reading somewhere that like 4-5 drinks can stop PS for like up to 72 hours....

[Dr Pangloss]

I'll check it out.

[freak]

I'll check it out.
you are too legit. too legit to quit!

[Dr Pangloss]

you are too legit. too legit to quit!


lol. Let's see what we find bro...

[Dr Pangloss]

I found study with chronic alcohol consumption. It did not entirely wipe out protien synthesis in muscle, but it cut it in half, which is a pretty robust effect.

[BoneBz]

I found study with chronic alcohol consumption. It did not entirely wipe out protien synthesis in muscle, but it cut it in half, which is a pretty robust effect.

That just about sums up what I was wondering. Thank you.

[Frosty]

Quick anecdotal here...often when I'm gaining I like to trash my body for 2 weeks....9 full body workouts a week, 1.5 hours each, 2 weeks. Then take 5 days off and eat like mad and sleep all day. I'd blow up. But one time after I was done with the training, i went out with some friends clubbin and heavy drinking, and my results SUCKED. It was nowhere near what I normally counted on for that type of cycle. :( Alcohol sucks.

[Ninja Loco]

I found study with chronic alcohol consumption. It did not entirely wipe out protien synthesis in muscle, but it cut it in half, which is a pretty robust effect.Link or study, please? No seriously, I have a client who needs to see it.

[Dr Pangloss]

Link or study, please? No seriously, I have a client who needs to see it.

I'll pull the studies today.

[BarbellBeast]

This didn't come out of the NIH, but what the hell:

Bodybuilders who like to drink should consider the effects of alcohol on both muscles and hormones. A 1989 study of alcohol found that heavy alcohol consumption damages the heart muscle in one third of the subjects, and skeletal muscles in half of them. It's very clear that alcohol's toxic effects on muscles are significant and far more widespread than anyone thought.

The study also found that muscle weakness is proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed. But the study also noted that such detrimental effects occurred over a sustained period of heavy drinking. Nonetheless, the study concluded that alcohol is a toxin for striated muscle, regardless of where it is.

A 1983 British study found that three years of heavy alcohol drinking had a negative effect on Type 2B muscle fibers. This is significant because these particular fibers are most subject to hypertrophy or muscular growth. The study further noted that this myopathy (muscle disease) was reversible if the drinking stopped.

Another British study found that alcohol directly inhibited protein synthesis in the quadriceps muscles. Alcohol also interferes with interaction of muscle contractile proteins, and the enzyme that controls the sodium pump mechanism in muscle, causing a localized swelling or edema in muscle tissue.

Consider the effects of alcohol on the endocrine system. Large amounts of alcohol increase the liver breakdown of testosterone 2 - 5 times normal. Alcohol also prevents the conversion of Vitamin A into an active form in the testes. This may cause sterility. Even a single bout of heavy drinking raises cortisol levels (an adrenal stress hormone) enough to cause a significant drop in blood testosterone. Large amounts of alcohol decrease the binding of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary to its receptors in the testes. Luteinizing hormone normally stimulates the testes to synthesize testosterone.

Chronic alcohol intake eventually decreases LH receptors in the testes, thereby making the testes insensitive to LH and lowering testosterone production. Alcohol also interferes with several enzymes in the testes that manufacture testosterone.

By products of alcohol metabolism, such as ecetaldehyde, may exert direct toxic effects on the structure of the testes. In 20% of severe male alcoholics, alcohol lowers testosterone production enough to cause gynecomastia (enlarged breasts). Alcohol also causes impotence or reduced sex drive in 70 - 80% of alcoholic men. Alcohol lowers growth hormone levels, and blunts the normal growth hormone response to decreased blood sugar levels. This may contribute to the higher incidence of hypoglycemia in people who drink, since growth hormone is a body safeguard against hypoglycemia.

While alcohol consists of empty calories, it also decreases the rate of fat burning. In a recent Swiss study, eight healthy young men consumed 96 grams of pure alcohol a day. That equals about 7 cans of beer. This amount of alcohol comprised 25% of their calories. In the first part of the study, the alcohol was added to the men's usual calorie intake. Later, the alcohol replaced fat and carbohydrate in the men's diets, equaling the same number of calories. In both instances, alcohol reduced the rate of fat burning in the men by one third.

In addition, the researches found that large quantities of ingested alcohol increase the acetate pool of the body. The significance here is that this excess acetate by product is shunted to peripheral tissues of the body, where it often suppresses fat burning and promotes increased fat deposition.

Acetate also circulates to muscle, but is a poor energy source, contributing only about 6.5% available energy. In this sense, excessive alcohol intake takes a direct route to the fat pathway of the body. Also, alcohol stimulates a large output of insulin, which also favors lipogenesis, or body fat synthesis.
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/41581/health/alcohol_and_muscles.html

[Ninja Loco]

Thanks guys.

[Dr Pangloss]

1: Alcohol Alcohol. 1991;26(5-6):505-13.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/corehtml/query/egifs/http:--highwire.stanford.edu-icons-externalservices-pubmed-custom-oxfordjournals_final.gif (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?PrId=3051&itool=AbstractPlus-def&uid=1804130&db=pubmed&url=http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=1804130) Links

The effect of chronic alcohol ingestion on whole body and muscle protein synthesis--a stable isotope study.

Pacy PJ (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term="Pacy PJ"[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus), Preedy VR (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term="Preedy VR"[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus), Peters TJ (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term="Peters TJ"[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus), Read M (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term="Read M"[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus), Halliday D (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term="Halliday D"[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus).
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K.
The cause of the proximal myopathy associated with chronic alcohol ingestion has yet to be established. The clinical feature of muscle wasting implies either inhibited skeletal muscle protein synthesis, stimulated breakdown or a combination of both. Previous data suggest that breakdown is reduced, rather than promoted. This provides evidence, albeit indirect, that the myopathy is the result of inhibited muscle protein synthesis, which has been demonstrated recently in the rat model. We have examined the influence of chronic alcohol intake on post-absorptive fractional skeletal muscle protein synthesis in man using a primed continuous (1 mg/kg/hr) infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine for 8 hr. Percutaneous quadriceps muscle biopsies (200 mg) were taken after 2 and 8 hr of the infusion for measurement of the incorporation of 13C leucine into muscle protein. Plasma 13C enrichment of alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, the deaminated product of leucine, was used to represent that of the precursor pool. We studied 6 fully ambulant alcoholics, who exhibited no overt evidence of skeletal muscle disease and who had consumed at least 100 g alcohol daily for a minimum of 10 years. Mean (+/- S.D.) fractional muscle protein synthesis was 0.0274 +/- 0.0087 (95% confidence intervals 0.0204-0.0344%/hr). This value is significantly lower than recently published control values obtained using identical protocols which range from 0.046 to 0.055%/hr. In addition, whole body leucine oxidation was lower (P less than 0.05) in the chronic alcoholics than in healthy controls, whereas neither whole body protein synthesis nor breakdown was significantly reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
PMID: 1804130 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Dr Pangloss]

there are hundreds of papers on different aspects of this. it has acute effects also. the above study is most relevant to your client ninja, since protein synth. is measured in humans. this is the first study to show effects in humans (that's whyits 1991).

[Reloaded]

wish i saw this before saturday, I am not drinking for a very long time

[big.poppa.pump]

Word, I'll just have a steak at the bar instead of a couple of glasses of scotch.

[natron]

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/articles/CalebStone/alcohol

and...

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/articles/CalebStone/chemicallycorrrectll

Read it, it's the best explanation you'll find...


I promise

[ryu-soma]

I find that when I drink(which is once in a blue moon) my body seems to feel a bit funky the next morning, also I can't get as high a pump as I normally would when I train early the next day after its consumption.

[AnimalG]

I'm with natron. Those mind and muscle articles are excellent. They show that a night of heavy drinking significantly lowers testosterone for days, (up to a week!) And it TOTALLY kills GH release. Even moderate drinking lowers it pretty well. If you MUST drink, 1 or 2 drinks is probably your best bet.

Of course, people like me can't just have 1 or 2. Once I get to 2, suddenly its 8 or 12.

[DCHMUSCLE88]

great info guys!

[Klaus Urine]

"I have found the use of GHB or GHB-like products (GBL, BDO, Tranquili-G) to be particularly useful for this purpose (see the article in issue #2 for more information). In combination with alcohol, they allow the achievement of an intoxication quite similar to that produced by significant quantities of alcohol with the consumption of only a few drinks."

LOL, fucking hell.

[Youngguns]

lol wtffffffffffff

[Strikerrjones]

I gotta get me some of them capsules!

[Frosty]

What about getting baked and protein synthesis? I've heard it has estrogenic effects but is there anything else that is a detriment to the bodybuilder?

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

Dr Pangloss once again comes through! Natron also had some great references. Thanks.

[natron]

What about getting baked and protein synthesis? I've heard it has estrogenic effects but is there anything else that is a detriment to the bodybuilder?

The estrogenic effects of marijauna are very minimal. It's often overstated and is more "bro-science" than anything. Go ahead, enjoy your hoots.

[natron]

and for those looking to decrease alcohol consumption, you may want to look into phenibut. About 1-4 grams (best to tinker at a lower dose first), will significantly lower the amount of alcohol needed to get a "social" buzz. Or for that matter, 2-400mg of l-theanine works well, although a lesser extent of phenibut.

[natron]

on prescription side, gabapentin works almost too well.

[natron]

Bump for the articles!

[Ross Erstling]

If you are on cycle, the detrimental effects of moderate alcohol consumption are minimal.

[natron]

moderate alcohol consumption is not being debated. It's more the abuse of alcohol and or effects after binge drinking.

[Liquidswords]

really glad i learned this. Gives me another reason to stay sober.

[natron]

really glad i learned this. Gives me another reason to stay sober.

Glad you learned something!

[Colossal]

What about getting baked and protein synthesis? I've heard it has estrogenic effects but is there anything else that is a detriment to the bodybuilder?

To my knowledge there isn't any definitive evidence weed is detrimental to protein synthesis. Any conclusions would be indirect and probably extrapolated. Grants aren't exactly flying out of the NIH to fund a study looking at marijuana use and bodybuilding.

Anecdotally I say it's fine. I've blazed throughout my lifting career, and the only time I've found it to be a hindrance is <12 hours before training.

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

moderate alcohol consumption is not being debated. It's more the abuse of alcohol and or effects after binge drinking.

Also be aware that the calories you get from alcohol have no nutritional value and can cut your appetite for nutritious food.

I do agree that it is alcohol abuse that is the problem. Abuse, in the addiction field is "continued use despite adverse consequences.

[Ryan Wacht]

and for those looking to decrease alcohol consumption, you may want to look into phenibut. About 1-4 grams (best to tinker at a lower dose first), will significantly lower the amount of alcohol needed to get a "social" buzz. Or for that matter, 2-400mg of l-theanine works well, although a lesser extent of phenibut.

Phenibut definitely works. I'd like to add that one should limit it to just one dose per usage. I've had nights where I dosed several times, only to experience severe acute withdrawals the next day, experiencing some pretty extreme vomiting.

[Widge]

i am not happy this was posted near new years eve!!

[s2h]

alcohol and AAS use are a bad all the way around,not only are you consuming empty calories,but if your taking orals it's russian rullete on your liver!!

[natron]

alcohol and AAS use are a bad all the way around,not only are you consuming empty calories,but if your taking orals it's russian rullete on your liver!!

This is not true at all, you made me laugh though.

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

alcohol and AAS use are a bad all the way around,not only are you consuming empty calories,but if your taking orals it's russian rullete on your liver!!

Oral AAS and Alcohol are both metabolized by the liver. Both stress liver function. I know I have enough stress in my life aleady.

[MacFlashGordon]

Hang on. Alcohol is toxic. If it's a toxin it certainly won't do you much good. Besides that, the effects of over consumption are hardly beneficial to gaining mass. Your chances of bumping into the smith machine as you stagger into the gym will increase and that ain't a good start.