Aaaaaahhhh! A night out with the boys?... Make merriment, throw in a bottle or two, have that tequila pop with the accompaniment of great music. Sounds fun isn't it? Especially when Christmas and New Year is just round the corner. But do you know what that beer or tequila is doing to you?



Alcohol, hic, is one of the world's oldest drug. Yes, it is a drug. It has many effects on the body, some good, but mostly bad.

It supposedly helps you to relax and make you light headed which to many is source of enjoyment. It may even have some beneficial effects, such as a blood thinning action. That is why some tout it as good to have a glass of wine now and then.

Alcohol is nervous system depressant, causing the brain to relax and inhibitions to decrease. That is why many alcoholics get into trouble because they could not control their behaviour when intoxicated.

Muscle co-ordination is impaired. Thoughts are incoherent and so gibberish is spewed and slurred. Over intoxication can even cause coma and death. Yes, every year tens of thousands of people die from alcohol poisoning. Alcohol is especially harmful to bodybuilders since it prevents muscle recovery and protein synthesis. It dehydrates you and again that is bad for your muscles and not to say your nutrient intake is impaired.

However, not to take the fun out of those that imbibe in alcohol, a drink occasionally and not taken excessively is a nice way to relax and socialize. I know. I do indulge in alcohol now and then. But if you are a teetotaler, perhaps it is better for you to stay that way.

Alcohol is water soluble and is metabolized primarily by the liver. That means that your liver is taking the brunt of the poison and that is why so many alcoholics suffer from liver diseases. My dad passed on with just one of those diseases. Liver cancer.

You get fuzzy woozy and talk in circles incoherently and your memory lapses so much that you may not even remember what you said or did in the drunken stupor. In the meantime, brain cells are destroyed! You become stupid. Really. Duh?

Even a small amount of alcohol will have an instant effect on your ability to control your emotions and judgment. Since you are unable to command these faculties, a larger amount of alcohol will make you lose control of your good sense and violent and emotional outbursts may follow. Think of the drunken brawl or being a little more adventurous with the other sex that will put you behind bars or in a hospital emergency ward. Since it is also a depressant, sometimes it can get you so depressed that your emotion is so much affected until you may collapse crying or emotionally inconsolable which again may lead to some actions of which you may regret. Don't live with embarrassments all your life.

Over time, if sufficient amount of alcohol is consumed, some brain receptors become accustomed to a certain amount of alcohol and more is required to get the same depressing and intoxicating effect. That means you build up tolerance and need to drink more to get the same "high" which means more poison you will be drinking and more money gone down the urinal as expensive urine. At this stage, you may have become an alcoholic and may experience imaginery anxiety, tremors and hallucinations when you are not drinking. You may then get over intoxicated and death may be a consequence of the over indulgence.

Ok...I shall not scare you drinkers out there anymore because I am now going terrify you!

Alcohol is particularly detrimental for people who love sports. Performance, recovery and rebuilding of your muscle cells are all affected. What's worse, its effects can linger on for days. With its effect still affecting you, you will :-

a) Lose strength and so you can't build muscles effectively.

b) Gain body fat easily (your body burn alcohol for energy first and do not burn anything else such as fat and carbs which will then be converted to fat as they are not used up for energy).

c)Your male hormones testosterones is suppressed ( so your muscles and male features suffers. You may also suffer from erectile dysfunction).

d) Impaired reaction time - This is when accidents happen. So don't drink and drive. You may kill somebody or even yourself.

e)Increased estrogen production, a female hormone ( you develop breasts instead of pecs or what bodybuilders called "bitch tits")

d)Increased fatigue - how do you like to be in a constant state of hangover?

e) Caused dehydration - a cause for wrinkles, dry skin, thick yellowish smelly urine.

f) Your aerobic capacity decreased

g) Your muscle growth is retarded

e) Disrupted sleep (disruption of sleep will inhibit the release of growth hormones much needed for your muscles to grow)

f) Vitamin and mineral will not be absorbed effectively meaning you will be short of essential nutrients and your immunity system will crumbled. You will the succumb easily to diseases and age more rapidly.

There are many many more harm alcohol can do to you. you. I shall stop here now as it is not nice to terrify you lest I be branded as a terrorist!!

Bottoms up, anyone?