One drink won’t hurt will it?
Alcohol And Testosterone
I thought this topic needed to be discussed early on in the life on this blog as I have been asked many times by friends, family and colleagues how and if alcohol affects your progress in the gym.
Does alcohol decrease Testosterone in males?
In short, yes alcohol does suppress testosterone levels, but it may not suppress it to quite the magnitude you have been led to believe.
It is only when binge drinking begins (7 or more drinks per day) that building muscle and fitness in general becomes troublesome.
This study suggests that men between 2 and 3 beers per day for a period of 3 weeks had a decrease in Testosterone of 7% on average; this isn’t too bad at all.
The consumption of copious amounts of alcohol after a workout however is a killer, binge drinking post workout has been proven to lower testosterone levels by on average 23% with a 36% increase in cortisol.
So there you have it, yes Testosterone is suppressed with alcohol consumption… although unless you are attending college frat parties on the daily the decrease in Testosterone is very insignificant.
Since you’ve started staying fit have you decreased your drinking habits? What’re your thoughts on alcohol and testosterone levels?
Let me know in the comments below!