Alcohol Slows Muscle Repair After Workout
Alcohol Ingestion Impairs Maximal Post-Exercise Rates of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following a Single Bout of Concurrent Training
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Alcohol’s damage is worse with carbs than with protein.
Most assume carbs help recovery, so combining them with alcohol would be neutral or slightly bad—but it’s actually the worst combo.
Practical Takeaways
Wait at least 6–8 hours after your workout before drinking alcohol to let muscle protein synthesis peak.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Alcohol’s damage is worse with carbs than with protein.
Most assume carbs help recovery, so combining them with alcohol would be neutral or slightly bad—but it’s actually the worst combo.
Practical Takeaways
Wait at least 6–8 hours after your workout before drinking alcohol to let muscle protein synthesis peak.
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2014
Authors
E. Parr, D. Camera, J. Areta, L. Burke, Stuart M Phillips, J. Hawley, Vernon G. Coffey
Related Content
Claims (6)
Drinking alcohol after a workout, even if you also eat protein, stops your muscles from rebuilding as well as they would if you just had protein alone—alcohol messes with muscle recovery, and protein can’t fully fix it.
Drinking alcohol with a sports drink after a workout hurts muscle recovery more than drinking it with a protein shake—protein helps a little, but it’s still bad.
Your muscles don't grow while you're lifting weights—they grow later, while you rest, because that's when your body repairs tiny tears and builds more muscle tissue using the energy and nutrients you've eaten.
If you drink a lot of alcohol after a tough workout — like 12 drinks — your muscles won’t repair and grow as well, especially if you eat carbs afterward; even if you eat protein, your muscle recovery still takes a hit.
If you drink alcohol after working out, it can cut in half the body’s signal to build muscle—compared to just drinking a protein shake after exercise.