“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.” — Frank Sinatra

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production and leading to dehydration. This is why people often feel thirsty or experience headaches after drinking. Dehydration can impair cognitive and physical performance, and is a major contributor to hangover symptoms.

Consuming alcohol, especially after exercise, can interfere with the body’s ability to repair and build muscle tissue. This is particularly relevant for athletes or anyone focused on fitness, as alcohol can blunt impair protein synthesis in the muscles reduce gains from training.

Alcohol disrupts normal metabolic processes in the liver. It blocks our ability to break down energy from macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This can lead to fatigue, poor athletic performance, and, over time, metabolic health issues.

While alcohol is sometimes used as a “nightcap” ¹ to induce drowsiness, it actually ruins the quality of your sleep and reduces the amount of restorative REM sleep. This can result in feeling unrefreshed the next day, even if you slept for a normal duration.