Hormonal
Co-ingesting protein with alcohol following strenuous exercise attenuates alcohol-induced intramyocellular apoptosis and prevents the inhibition of autophagy, whereas alcohol with carbohydrate triggers apoptosis.
If you consume alcohol after a strenuous workout, mix it with protein rather than just carbohydrates or water. This study shows that protein helps protect muscle cells from apoptosis (cell death) and supports mitochondrial health, whereas alcohol with carbohydrates triggered significant DNA fragmentation and cell stress. This does not mean alcohol is 'good' for recovery, but protein co-ingestion appears to mitigate some of the cellular damage compared to other common mixing strategies.
We conclude that alcohol ingestion following exercise triggers apoptosis, whereas the anabolic properties of protein coingestion may stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis to protect cellular homeostasis.
Why this rating
Randomized crossover design with human subjects, but small sample size (n=8) and acute single-bout measurement limit generalizability.
Source
Protein coingestion with alcohol following strenuous exercise attenuates alcohol-induced intramyocellular apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy
William J. Smiles et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2016
DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00303.2016
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