4 Ways Drinking Actually Helps Your Fitness Efforts

1
4 Ways Drinking Actually Helps Your Fitness
Efforts Its a common scenario...every January
1st, thousands swear off drinking as part of
their New Years resolutions, vowing to exchange
their favorite alcoholic beverage for a better
and more fitness driven lifestyle. If youve
already jumped on that bandwagon, or are
considering doing so now, weve got good news!
Wine and beer, when combined with regular
exercise, might actually be a good
thing. Drinking red wine and exercising is the
best way to get the benefits red wine
offers. Weve heard for years that an 8oz glass
of red wine daily does the heart good. Recently,
researchers at the European Society of Cardiology
took this study further to examine the effects
red wine had on individuals when combined with
regular exercise. Individuals were divided into
two categories - those that only consumed alcohol
and those that both consumed alcohol and
exercised regularly. The researchers found that
there was no considerable effect on blood
glucose, cholesterol, levels of inflammatory
markers like C-reactive protein and triglycerides
in the individuals that only drank. However, the
individuals who both consumed alcohol and worked
out at least twice a week saw a substantial
impact on their cholesterol levels. This led the
researchers to the conclusion that red wine
consumption, when combined with regular
exercise, is beneficial in preventing
cardiovascular disease. Consuming wine and beer
create endorphins that motivate exercise. After
a long day at work, you really just want an ice
cold beer or a nice glass of wine. Ever wonder
why that is? Researchers have discovered that our
brain releases the same endorphins when
consuming alcohol as it does when working out.
These endorphins reward our brain and motivate
us to continue our exercise routine. When the
endorphins from exercise and alcohol consumption
are combined by having a drink shortly after the
workout, it causes a reaction that our brain and
body remembers and wants to repeat over and over
again. Subconsciously, this motivates us to hit
the gym again the following day in order to have
that guilt free drink afterwards. If you really
want to stay motivated to stick with your
exercise routine, grab that drink after your
first workout. Beer may be better than a protein
shake. When you wrap up that spin class the
first thing you probably want to do is grab a
protein shake. You may want to consider grabbing
an ice cold beer instead. Turns out, beer is
packed with nutrients like B vitamins that help
with energy levels, Niacin which may be
beneficial to cholesterol levels, phosphorus for
strong bones and teeth, and Selenium for
antioxidants. An added bonus? Beer will also
help with sore muscles. Beer also packs a pretty
good amount of protein, fiber and silicone which
research has shown may help with osteoporosis.
These are all the ideal nutrients researchers
say you need after a workout. Its best to avoid
having a beer with a high ABV - alcohol by
volume - and stick with sessionable beer that
will give you the needed nutrients without
overdoing the alcohol.
2
Wine can help burn fat and keep it
off. Researchers at two Universities in the
United States found that the ellagic acid found
in grapes substantially slowed the growth of
existing fat cells in the body, as well as
reduced the growth of new ones and boosted the
metabolism of fatty acids within liver cells.
This doesn't mean that red wine by itself is
enough, because while the ellagic acid slows down
fat growth, it doesn't actually burn fat. You
need to exercise regularly to burn fat, and a
moderate amount of red wine may help you keep it
off. If youre committed to an exercise regime,
you dont necessarily need to swear off wine and
beer. Just be sure that you only consume in
moderation to reap their benefits. Too busy or
too tired to pick up a nice bottle of wine or a
refreshing ice cold beer after a long day? No
worries...365Drinks, an online alcohol store in
the UK, has you covered! 365 Drinks offers the
finest wines, beers, spirits, and mixers for its
customers to buy drinks online. With 45 years of
experience in the industry, the company offers
secure online ordering to get your favorite
bottle right at your doorstep. Visit their
website today!