Beer can help you gain muscle
This is not medical advice.
That’s of course not completely true, and only in very limited circumstances. But I think it makes the science discussion of muscle building more fun.
I was about 13 when I first saw Pumping Iron the movie, starring Arnold and Lou, and some other famous bodybuilders. I didn’t necessarily want to pose on a stage, but I definitely wanted bigger muscles.
There is a famous line in the movie where Arnold is asked by a reporter if he drinks milk (for protein/muscle mass). His response is, “milk is for babies, when you grow up you drink beer.” Of course he was half joking, and his charisma helped explode the health and fitness industry to new heights.
He and the other professionals were probably not drinking beer close to competition time, however there were stories of beer drinking during life. Beer has many calories, and you need extra calories to build muscle mass. Preferably it would be protein, however most of the top strong men consume massive amounts of carbs and protein.
The Negatives
Before we go further, I should point out some of the negatives, as some trainers and AA counselors are probably getting pretty pissed off.
Most people who first start weightlifting or resistance training make some quick gains in the first 1-2 months. And that is not from more muscle mass, but from improved neurological messaging with the muscle. As your body starts to see this pattern of continued stress on the muscles, it will start to increase muscle fiber recruitment. Better motor learning vs actual increase in muscle mass.
Alcohol is a neurological depressant, so in theory, it could decrease this neurological “strength.”
And, all those extra beer calories may not be used to build muscle. A certain percentage is going to be stored as belly fat.
We could also argue that drinking at bars, being up late, being dehydrated, etc, will not help people gain muscle.
We pulled it off in college, however we were younger, and recovered better. Muscle gains would be much better without alcohol binge culture.
The Elderly
It’s amazing to me the continuum of body weight that exists in human nature/physiology. There are people who weigh 600 pounds, and then there are also many elderly people who don’t have enough body fat. These people are very skinny, and as a result, have decreased bone density and muscle tissue.
Would it be beneficial for them to drink one beer a day to add some healthy calories? That’s difficult to say when I see so many balance issues, and possible conflict with their meds.
But they might also be happier with a beer, and healthier without industry meds. Who knows.
The healthiest and longest living populations in the world drink wine in moderation. But along with the wine is all the other lifestyle choices of gardening, moderate walking, napping, socializing, less electronics, etc.
Muscle mass is related to strength, however isn’t always necessary.
The more muscle mass you have, the better potential for greater strength. The more strength you have, the less likely you are to be injured.
White Sands brewing
This last story has nothing to do with muscle, just beer.
I first started trying to brew my own beer in the late 90’s when I lived in Alamogordo. I made some ok batches, and some batches that were just god awful. The only other person who liked my home brew was another home brewer. Everyone else thought it tasted terrible. One hispanic guy asked if I could brew some that tasted like Budweiser. “Uh, no. I don’t want it to tastes like Bud, that’s the whole point.” :)
Anyways, I was reading these beer brewing books to try and improve the taste, and I came across a catalyst to the equation. That compound was calcium sulphate. Otherwise know as gypsum. And I just happened to live 20 minutes from the largest gypsum field in the world.
Gypsum is a catalyst with the reaction between sugar and yeast. It speeds up the reaction, converting the sugar into alcohol faster. It also makes a healthier batch, as it decreases the risk of the batch going sour from sitting too long.
And sure enough, I “borrowed” a little sand, poured it in the bucket, and that percolator went crazy. Good times.
Cheers!
