Should You Continue Dry January? Here’s What Alcohol Does to Your Gains
cLIFF Notes by PEAK
Should You Continue Dry January? Here’s What Alcohol Does to Your Gains
Dry January is over. You made it 31 days without alcohol. You probably slept better, felt sharper in the gym, and maybe even saw an extra cut in your physique.
But now you’re wondering… should you keep going?
If muscle growth, fat loss, and peak performance are your goals, alcohol plays a bigger role than you think. Let’s break down exactly how it affects your fitness and whether staying dry might be the cheat code you’ve been missing.
How Alcohol Impacts Your Gains
1. Alcohol Disrupts Muscle Growth (MPS)
Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) is how your body repairs and grows muscle after a workout. Alcohol directly slows this process down, meaning your hard work in the gym doesn’t translate into the same level of gains.
🔬 The Science: Research shows that consuming ≥0.5g of alcohol per kg of body weight (about 3-4 drinks for a 180-pound person) significantly impairs MPS. At higher doses (≥1.5g/kg or roughly 9+ drinks), MPS can drop by up to 37%—meaning nearly 40% less muscle recovery from your training session.
👉 What this means for you: Even moderate drinking can stunt muscle repair. And if you go big on the weekends? You’re basically hitting the pause button on progress.
2. It Slows Recovery & Wrecks Sleep
You don’t build muscle in the gym—you build it when you rest and recover. Alcohol disrupts that process.
Decreases deep sleep (REM & slow-wave sleep)—which is when muscle repair and fat burning happen.
Increases inflammation—making soreness last longer.
Worsens fatigue—so you’re dragging through your next session instead of attacking it.
👉 The bottom line: Bad recovery = weaker lifts, slower gains, and more time feeling sore instead of growing stronger.
3. It Slows Fat Loss
If your goal is to get lean, alcohol is working against you. Here’s why:
Fat-burning stops – Your body prioritizes breaking down alcohol over burning fat, meaning your metabolism slows down every time you drink.
Extra (useless) calories – Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, with zero nutritional benefit.
More cravings, worse food choices – Ever noticed how drinking makes greasy food sound way more appealing? That’s because alcohol lowers inhibition and increases appetite, making it easier to overeat.
👉 Reality check: The occasional drink won’t completely derail you, but frequent drinking makes it significantly harder to lean out.
4. It Lowers Testosterone & Increases Cortisol (The Stress Hormone)
Testosterone is critical for building muscle and burning fat, while cortisol breaks down muscle tissue. Guess what alcohol does? It messes with both.
🔬 The Science:
Drinking ~1.5g/kg of alcohol (~9+ drinks for a 180lb person) can lower testosterone levels by up to 23% within 16 hours.
Cortisol increases, leading to muscle breakdown and fat storage—the opposite of what you want.
👉 What this means for you: If you want to build muscle, torch fat, and feel strong, alcohol is working against you.
5. It Hurts Hydration & Performance
Ever tried hitting a PR after a night out? Yeah… not fun.
Alcohol dehydrates you, which means:
Weaker lifts & slower endurance
Higher risk of cramps & injuries
Less blood flow to muscles = reduced strength & recovery
👉 In simple terms: A few drinks today = a worse workout tomorrow.
So… Should You Keep Going with Dry January?
That depends on your goals.
✅ If you’re serious about maximizing strength, muscle growth, and performance, reducing alcohol is an easy win.Even cutting back to 1-2 drinks per week can improve recovery, strength, and fat loss.
✅ If you’ve felt better during Dry January, why stop now? See how your body responds to another 30 days without alcohol—you might notice even bigger improvements.
✅ If you still want to drink, be smart about it. Stick to low-alcohol options, stay hydrated, and avoid drinking on training days to limit its negative effects.
Final Thoughts
No one’s saying you can’t ever drink again. But if you’re wondering whether alcohol is holding back your progress—the answer is probably yes.
At PEAK PT, we’re all about maximizing results with the least resistance—and cutting back on alcohol is one of the easiest ways to see faster progress.
So before you grab that next round, ask yourself:
❓ Is this drink worth slowing down my gains?
If the answer is no, maybe Dry January turns into Dry(ish) 2025.
Your body (and your PRs) will thank you. 🚀
💪 Need More Help With Your Fitness?
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