Does alcohol make you fat?

Many people unfortunately overlook the effects that drinking alcohol has on fat loss. So we thought the following information may be useful to know.

Alcohol is taken directly to the liver to be processed as soon as possible. At such time, any stored carbohydrates are no longer required as a fuel source so they are readily stored in the muscle cells and the liver. Alcohol yields 29kJ of energy per gram, which is almost two times higher than the energy value of one gram of carbohydrate (16kJ). Therefore, it may take the body almost twice as long to burn up the alcohol, which further delays the body’s ability to utilise its carbohydrate and fat stores.

Binge drinking may cause an oversupply of carbohydrates to be stored as fat, as carbohydrates often form the mixes in many alcoholic drinks. Bourbon and coke, Breezers, Stoli’s and beer are just a few of a number of well-known examples. One nip of a standard spirit contains approximately 10 grams of alcohol which equals almost 20 grams of carbohydrate, which is the same as the carbohydrate content in one potato, one apple and almost two slices of bread. If a can of coke is added to the nip (40 grams of carbohydrate), the entire drink would equal the carbohydrate contained in approximately 3 potatoes, 3 apples and almost 6 slices of bread. It is quite ironic that many people would not consider eating the quantities of these foods due to their energy composition but would easily consume these drinks.

Whilst we do not suggest that people consume alcohol, we suggest that people use water or diet soft drinks as the mixer when drinking spirits and choose low-alcohol varieties when drinking beer.

We also suggest that people be aware of the foods consumed in the hours prior to and while drinking to ensure that their carbohydrate and fat contents are not too high. Further, people should be aware of the foods eaten on the days following a drinking session, as higher than normal carbohydrate consumption may easily lead to fat gain. A low to moderate exercise session may be useful on the day after consuming alcohol to utilise the oversupply of energy. However, exercising, when dehydrated, is not recommended.