Fancy Another One?

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘alcohol is empty calories.’ Well let’s explain that. Different alcoholic drinks contain varying levels of calories. In is base format alcohol has seven calories per gram. A shot of gin will bring you in with around 110 calories, more if you have a mixer. A pint of beer will bring you in with around 239 calories.

Let’s put that into chocolate terms, each shot of gin is a standard size Milky Bar and the beer, a Mars Bar. So, chaps, five pints in an evening is eating five Mars Bars. Thinking differently about it now?

The NHS web site states the following:

“Drinking four bottles of wine a month adds up to a yearly consumption of around 27,000kcal, which is equivalent to eating 48 Big Macs per year. Drinking five pints of lager each week adds up to 44,200kcal over a year, equivalent to eating 221 doughnuts”.

Then the double whammy, the ‘empty calories.’ Alcohol has no nutritional value. Our bodies derive no benefit from it.

In addition, the human body is not designed to store alcohol. It can process it, trying to expel it as rapidly as possible, but as it does so the body will prioritise the alcohol calories and therefore blocks the normal utilising of body fat. Plus, the absorption of nutriments within our food and the body’s ability to produce insulin are affected.

How often does drinking also give you the munchies? It is shown to be more likely to make you crave junk food, resulting in even more calorie intake.

Worse of all it can also slow down the amount of energy you’re able to burn through exercise. 

When we train, we want to get 100% benefit, right? 

If you would like us to help achieve success for you, schedule a goal setting appointment with a CrossFit Ickenham staff member (here).

Andy
CrossFit Ickenham
STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY