Too much alcohol can waste your muscles mid-life, says new study

How does excessive alcohol consumption lead to loss of muscle mass?

“We call this sarcopenia, which refers to a progressive and generalised disorder of the skeletal muscle that is associated with an increase in negative health outcomes and is associated with lower bone density, osteoporotic fractures, falls, frailty, hospitalisation and physical disability. It occurs commonly as an age-related process in older people, but is also influenced by genetic and lifestyle factors operating across the life course. Unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle are known to accelerate development of sarcopenia,” says Dr Abhinav Kumar, Associate Consultant, Gastroenterology & Hepatobiliary Sciences, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi.

How are alcohol intake and muscle loss related?

“There is enough evidence to suggest that alcohol has a direct toxic effect on muscle cells and damaged muscle cells of both the skeletal and cardiac type. Alcohol increases inflammatory mediators and glucocorticoids which cause muscle breakdown. Alcohol also leads to alteration in gut microbiota, which in turn leads to increase in ammonia that causes upregulation of muscle breakdown and downregulation of muscle protein synthesis. In other words, existing muscles waste away. With higher consumption of alcohol over time, there’s tissue damage and deficiencies in B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamin D. These affect the process of converting protein into muscle and repairing it,” he says.

Reacting to the new study, Dr Kumar explains, this is a more definitive study compared to previous ones conducted on the subject over the last three decades. “Besides, we need to look at not just unhealthy markers of alcohol consumption but also associated nutritional deficiency and poor nutrition intake. And though physical activity and sedentary levels weren’t measured in this study, they too play a significant role in muscle development. Whether it is the dietary and sedentary lifestyle practices that cause sarcopenia in heavy drinkers or whether alcohol alone can cause the damage needs to be assessed further. Alcohol, in general, is known to cause systemic disorders and thus it is imperative that its unhealthy use be strongly discouraged among all age groups,” adds Dr Kumar.

How to treat sarcopenia in patients with unhealthy alcohol consumption?
The doctor advises complete abstinence as the first step. “Improvement of nutrition is also of utmost priority focussing on increasing protein intake in diet. Regular exercise has been shown to benefit. Adapting healthy life practices will lead to wellness and better functional capacities,” he adds.

Does drinking after exercising delay muscle recovery? What does research say?

A review was conducted in 2019 of 12 studies and found that alcohol could affect muscle recovery only if drinking during recovery is consistent. Consuming alcohol consistently can reduce the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which energises the muscle cells. When you exercise, you consume ATP which needs to be replenished.

What else can be done to rebuild muscle mass?

Have requisite protein per kg of body weight, rest, sleep and gap your strength training routines with other exercise schedules every alternate day. As for alcohol, keep it within a moderate drinking limit of a glass a day.