Beer and Bodybuilding...

[DaveEboy]

When I used to really 'bulk up' in my early 20's, I would drink 1 can of budweiser with my 1 pound of ground beef for lunch. I had read of others doing this as it was supposed to accomplish 2 things. 1 - stimulate appetite, help digestion, 2 - make a large meal just a little easier to get down

Now at 40 years old, with a much more refined palate for quality beer, like a well done brown ale, a solid IPA ... I often continue to have a beer with dinner. It seems to calm my digestion and when I dont really feel like throwing down yet another 70 gram protein meal at 8pm ... seems like a good beer makes it go down easy.

Was just wandering if any of you other DC'ers like to have an occassional brewsky.

Please dont tell me about alcohol being empty calories either. Not even close to being true, not to mention I am quite sure that like carbohydrates, alcohol is protein sparing. Not to mention the whole slew of micro nutrients, minerals, phytonutrients, etc, that is in beer. In particular a wheat beer ... reallly loaded in the phytos.

Once again just to be clear ... I am not talking about pounding down 3 old milwaukee ICE beers a day guys.

[JohnnyBravo]

No offense, but I doubt this is an optimal strategy. Although if you have great genetics and your name rhymes with Smorshenwegger, I guess you could have a beer and a whole chicken post workout. (Yes its a rumor, no I can't find the link right now )

[SDMF]

I'm also curious to see what other IM members drink. I only drink on special occasions, and lately I prefer diet coke and bourbon to beer. I have to drink several beers to begin to feel anything, and I don't like to consume a lot of liquid calories.

[SkinnyMike42]

Smells like burning wood in here......

[ch3v3ll3]

Some jimmies shall be rustled in this thread.

[steel1970]

When I used to really 'bulk up' in my early 20's, I would drink 1 can of budweiser with my 1 pound of ground beef for lunch. I had read of others doing this as it was supposed to accomplish 2 things. 1 - stimulate appetite, help digestion, 2 - make a large meal just a little easier to get down

Now at 40 years old, with a much more refined palate for quality beer, like a well done brown ale, a solid IPA ... I often continue to have a beer with dinner. It seems to calm my digestion and when I dont really feel like throwing down yet another 70 gram protein meal at 8pm ... seems like a good beer makes it go down easy.

Was just wandering if any of you other DC'ers like to have an occassional brewsky.

Please dont tell me about alcohol being empty calories either. Not even close to being true, not to mention I am quite sure that like carbohydrates, alcohol is protein sparing. Not to mention the whole slew of micro nutrients, minerals, phytonutrients, etc, that is in beer. In particular a wheat beer ... reallly loaded in the phytos.
Once again just to be clear ... I am not talking about pounding down 3 old milwaukee ICE beers a day guys.

I think there are FAR better sources for the above purposes than beer or alcohol....

[dakoose]

I haven't read anything on this in a while, but a while back I read or was told that when the body ingests alcohol, nutrient metabolism gets shut down and the body shifts its focus towards filtering out the alcohol, as the body treats it as a foreign poison and treats clearing out the booze as Priority #1.

So I don't know how accurate this is, but what I extrapolated from that is that any nutrients taken in while drinking, whether it be food eaten with booze or carbs contained within the booze itself, the chances of it being stored as fat are much greater, being that metabolism and other bodily functions are slowed/halted. So on the rare occasion I do drink,

1) I do it far removed from a meal, so not much is being digested (easier to get drunk on an empty stomach is just an added benefit :whoo::whoo::whoo

2) I drink something with very few carbs (Vermouth, Vodka, or Tequilla...rarely drink Beer)

3) And I don't eat while I drink. (see added benefits for # 1:whoo

****I should add that I don't really enjoy beer, and on the rare occasion that I do drink, the goal is to get kinda drunk, so these rules are easy for me to follow.

[DCBliever]

Alcohol has the 2nd highest thermic effect of food next to protein but ever heRd of the beer shits? Wonder why? A couple beers every now and again isn't going to hurt, lets live a little. If you are prepping best to let the prep guy handle that, I know Alex A used to have his guys do 2 beers post workout supposedly. Moderation.

[RageBlanket]

I love beer. Skip does not want me to drink beer. Skip is ripped, I am fat. Ergo, no more beer.

I probably wouldn't drink much if I were "bulking", but I might have the occasional Deviant Dale's or Arrogant Bastard.

What about booze on a Skipload? Hmmmm.

[LG1]

If you feel like a drink, then have at it. But drinking and bodybuilding don't mix well IMO. How about drinking and driving?!?!

[Sammich]

I'm pretty sure there's absolutely no positive benefit to bodybuilding gotten from drinking booze. However, there's far more to life than bodybuilding. Moderation in all things.

[RageBlanket]

I'm pretty sure there's absolutely no positive benefit to bodybuilding gotten from drinking booze. However, there's far more to life than bodybuilding. Moderation in all things.

You're right here, it'll be pure empty calories for you ripped folks.

You left powerlifters out, though.

[nexa]

One beer in and the world starts to spin.

I had a mimosa on a skipload once and almost fell asleep shopping afterwards.

[0001Delta]

I'm pretty sure there's absolutely no positive benefit to bodybuilding gotten from drinking booze.

booze aliviates chronic pain like nothing else


I don't drink. Maybe twice a year. I prefer the tasty stuff over beer, because beer tastes like piss and that's why it's served cold. Wine, a fine whisky, I'll drink those if I can't help it, it has to have a nice taste, because I see no point in drinking unless it tastes good.

The only time when I really feel the urge to drink is when inmsonia kicks in and I wish I could chug down a bottle of wine just to sleep like a baby.

[Sammich]

You're right here, it'll be pure empty calories for you ripped folks.

You left powerlifters out, though.

He asked about beer and bodybuilding. Beer is practically required for powerlifting.