The Effect Alcohol Has on Recovery (And Why It Might Be Slowing You Down)

We’re heading into the summer season, and we all know what that means…weddings, BBQ’s, festivals, parties and generally good times!

But let’s be honest here, we’ve probably all done this: crushed a tough leg day, felt like a beast, then decided to “reward” ourselves later that night with a couple drinks. Maybe it was a birthday, a weekend BBQ, or just a Friday after a long week. We’re not here to judge of course. But if you’re serious about getting stronger, faster, leaner, or just feeling better day to day, then we need to talk about how alcohol might be messing with your recovery.

Because the sad truth is, alcohol doesn’t just affect you while you’re sipping it, it’s also the aftereffects that hang around. It messes with the behind-the-scenes work your body is doing to actually get better after you train.

So, if you've ever wondered why your progress feels stagnant despite training hard, eating "pretty well," and hitting your macros most of the time... this might be the missing piece of the puzzle.

Recovery Isn’t Just Rest, It’s Rebuilding

Before we talk booze, let’s just zoom in on what recovery actually is. Recovery isn’t just taking a day off; it’s your body repairing the damage you caused in the gym.

When you lift weights or train hard, you’re literally tearing muscle fibres. That soreness you feel? It’s your body saying, “Alright, let’s rebuild this, but stronger this time.” That rebuilding takes nutrients, hormones, sleep, and hydration. Everything needs to be dialled in. And this is where alcohol can upset your system.

Here’s What Alcohol Actually Does (The Short Version):

1.        Disrupts Sleep

Alcohol might help you fall asleep quicker, but it ruins the quality of your sleep. Specifically, it messes with your REM and deep sleep stages where recovery happens. So, you might get 8 hours and still wake up feeling like you were hit by a bus. Less deep sleep = less muscle repair, less hormone production, and more fatigue the next day.

2.        It Kills Muscle Protein Synthesis

After training, your body kicks into “rebuild mode.” This process is called muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Alcohol interferes with this process and even small amounts can reduce MPS by up to 37%, according to some studies. Think about that. You trained to build muscle… then drank something that told your body, “Nah, we’re good.”

3.        It Dehydrates You

You already lose water through sweat when you train. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more and lose more fluids and electrolytes. This slows nutrient delivery, increases soreness, and makes you feel sluggish. If you’ve ever felt more sore than usual after a workout + drinks combo, this is why.

4.        It Lowers Testosterone

For both men and women, testosterone plays a major role in strength, fat loss, and recovery. Alcohol lowers testosterone levels, especially in larger amounts. Even a couple of drinks a few times a week can have a cumulative effect.

5.        It Increases Inflammation

Your training already causes controlled inflammation (that’s normal). But alcohol adds extra, unnecessary inflammation into the mix. So now your body’s juggling balls, and instead of focusing on rebuilding your biceps, it’s trying to put out damage control fires in your liver and brain.

“I Don’t Drink That Much…”

Look, we’re not saying you have to live like a monk. This isn’t a “never drink again” lecture. But we need to stop pretending that alcohol has zero impact on results.

Even moderate drinking (2-3 drinks) after a workout affects how your body recovers. And if you're doing that a couple of times a week, you're constantly playing catch-up. It’s like trying to fill up a bucket that has a slow leak in it.

If you’re in a serious training phase, whether it’s building muscle, cutting fat, prepping for an event, or even just chasing your best self, you have to consider how alcohol fits in. Or doesn’t.

What Can You Do Instead?

Alright, so let’s be real about this…you’re probably not going to cut out alcohol forever. But here are a few things you can do to lessen the damage:

-              Drink after your rest day, not after your hardest session.

-              Hydrate hydrate hydrate - before, during, and after drinking.

-              Eat a solid meal with protein and carbs beforehand.

-              End the drinks it early. The later you drink, the worse your sleep.

-              Set rules—like “no drinking the night before leg day” or “no more than 2 drinks per week.”

These little rules can go a long way. You can still enjoy life and make progress, just don’t expect to run at 100% if you’re throwing alcohol into the mix regularly.

At the end of the day, your results don’t just come from what you do in the gym. They come from how you treat your body when you’re not in the gym. That’s where the magic happens.

Oswestry Power & Fitness specialise in Strength Training, Olympic Weightlifting and Progressive Fitness Training for all abilities. Helping you achieve your fitness, confidence and body goals.

If you have any questions, contact Head Coach Claire on 07393 195353.

To book a session click HERE

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