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<p>When it comes to achieving fat loss, one of the most important factors to consider is creating a caloric deficit. Simply put, a caloric deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. This forces your body to tap into its fat stores for energy, resulting in effective fat loss.</p><h2>Understanding Caloric Deficit</h2><p>Caloric deficit is the foundation of any successful fat loss journey. To achieve a caloric deficit, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns through daily activities and exercise. This can be done by adjusting your diet and increasing your physical activity levels.</p><h3>Calculating Your Daily Caloric Needs</h3><p>The first step in achieving a caloric deficit is to determine how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. You can use <a data-mce-href="https://truephysique.co.uk/calories--macros-calculator" href="https://truephysique.co.uk/calories--macros-calculator" title="Calories &amp; Macros Calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an online calculator</a> or consult with <a data-mce-href="https://truephysique.co.uk/fitness-consultation" href="https://truephysique.co.uk/fitness-consultation" title="Finttess Consultation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fitness professional</a> to get an estimate. Once you have this number, you can then create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories.</p><h2>Creating a Caloric Deficit through Diet</h2><p>One of the most effective ways to achieve a caloric deficit is by making smart dietary choices. Here are some strategies to help you create a calorie deficit through your diet:</p><ul><li>Eat nutrient-dense foods: Focus on consuming foods that are rich in nutrients but lower in calories. This includes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.</li><li>Portion control: Be mindful of your portion sizes and avoid overeating. Use smaller plates and bowls to help control your portions or even better weigh all the food you're eating.</li><li>Avoid sugary drinks and snacks: Cut down on sugary beverages and snacks as they are often high in calories and offer little nutritional value. Use diet sodas, protein puddings and yogurts instead.</li><li>Track your calories: Use a food diary or a calorie-tracking app to keep track of your daily calorie intake. This will help you stay accountable and make adjustments if needed.</li></ul><h2>Incorporating Exercise for a Caloric Deficit</h2><p>While creating a caloric deficit through diet is crucial, incorporating exercise can further enhance fat loss. Here are some exercises that can help you achieve a caloric deficit:</p><ul><li>Strength training: Incorporate strength training exercises into your routine to build lean muscle mass. Muscles burn more calories even at rest, helping you achieve a caloric deficit.</li><li>Cardiovascular exercises: Engage in activities like running, cycling, and swimming, or use one of the cardio machines in the gym to burn calories and increase your overall energy expenditure.</li><li>High-intensity interval training (HIIT): HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods. This type of training can help you burn more calories in less time.</li></ul><h2>Monitoring Your Progress</h2><p>It's essential to monitor your progress when aiming for a caloric deficit. Keep track of your weight, measurements, and how your clothes fit. Remember that sustainable fat loss is a gradual process, and it's important to be patient and consistent.</p><h3>Consulting with a Professional</h3><p>If you're new to creating a caloric deficit or have specific health concerns, it's always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian. They can provide personalized guidance and ensure you're on the right track to achieve effective fat loss.</p><p>Remember, achieving a caloric deficit is key to effective fat loss. By making smart dietary choices, incorporating exercise, and monitoring your progress, you'll be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals.</p>

How to Achieve a Caloric Deficit for Effective Fat Loss

Female hand with smartwatch and running concept above.

<h3>Fat Loss Fact: 500 calories at 9 am is also 500 calories at 9 pm - Calories don't tell the time.</h3><p>When it comes to weight loss and fat loss, the clock doesn't matter. A calorie is a unit of energy, and it represents the amount of energy contained in the food we consume. Whether you eat 500 calories at 9 am or 9 pm, the energy content remains the same. This is a fundamental principle in nutrition and weight management.</p><h3>Why Timing Doesn’t Matter</h3><p><strong>1. Calories In vs. Calories Out</strong>: At its core, weight loss is a matter of burning more calories than you consume. This principle, known as a calorie deficit, is what drives fat loss. Whether you eat those 500 calories in the morning or evening, your body will still metabolize and use those calories for energy.</p><p><strong>2. Metabolism is Constant:</strong> Your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories, is a continuous process. It doesn’t suddenly slow down or speed up based on the time of day you eat. While it can fluctuate based on factors like age, weight, and activity level, the difference is minimal and doesn’t drastically change within a single day.</p><p><strong>3. Nutrient Timing:</strong> While the timing of calories might not be crucial, nutrient timing can play a role in optimizing performance and recovery, especially for athletes and those engaged in intense physical activity. However, for general fat loss and weight management, the overall calorie intake is the primary factor.</p><figure id="figure-2wneqizdaolv3j7jtu"><img id="2wneqizdaolv3j7jtu" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1478749485505-2a903a729c63?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyNnx8bWVhbCUyMGNvbnNpc3RlbmN5fGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzM0MTM2MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="meal consistency" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1478749485505-2a903a729c63?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyNnx8bWVhbCUyMGNvbnNpc3RlbmN5fGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzM0MTM2MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>What Really Matters</h3><p>While the timing of your calorie intake might not be crucial, the quality and composition of those calories do matter. Here are some important factors to consider:</p><p><strong>Nutrient Density:</strong> Opt for nutrient-dense foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. These foods are not only good for overall health but also help keep you full and satisfied.</p><p><strong>Macronutrient Balance:</strong> Balancing your intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is essential for optimal health and fat loss. A balanced diet ensures that you get the necessary nutrients while managing your calorie intake.</p><p><strong>Overall Caloric Intake: </strong>To lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. This can be achieved by reducing portion sizes, choosing lower-calorie foods, and increasing physical activity.</p><p><strong>Physical Activity</strong>: Regular exercise is crucial for fat loss, muscle maintenance, and overall health. Combining a balanced diet with regular physical activity is the most effective approach to fat loss.</p><figure id="figure-ijyot3fb0ilv3j7l3d"><img id="ijyot3fb0ilv3j7l3d" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/aPRt35fIK4IoHqbR19ILbsptcXmuqDawBKAhfCJJebnvzxfEbsEmYv8EK20c6u3J.jpeg" alt="Training legs in the gym. Attractive fit woman doing lunges with discs from the bar." title="Training legs in the gym. Attractive fit woman doing lunges with discs from the bar." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/aPRt35fIK4IoHqbR19ILbsptcXmuqDawBKAhfCJJebnvzxfEbsEmYv8EK20c6u3J.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Final Thought</h3><p>In summary, the time you eat your calories doesn't affect fat loss. What truly matters is the overall quality and quantity of the calories you consume, as well as your overall energy balance. Focus on creating a sustainable calorie deficit, choosing nutrient-dense foods, and maintaining a balanced diet and regular physical activity to achieve your fat loss goals.</p><p>Remember, a calorie at 9 am is the same as a calorie at 9 pm. Calories don't tell time!</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p>

Fat Loss Fact - Calories Cannot Tell Time

Muscular crossfit athlete clapping hands and preparing for workout at the gym. Cloud of dust chalk powder on dark background. Sport concept. Copy space

<p>Have you been thinking about taking everybody's favourite performance enhancer - creatine but don't know what it is for or how it can help you in your workouts? In this article, you are going to learn how it works, what it can do for you during your workout, and why it's simply one of the best sports supplements out there.</p><p>Creatine is in fact one of the most studied supplements in sports science as well as the safest sports supplement. Creatine improves exercise performance, and strength and reduces fatigue, it may also have neurological and cognitive benefits.</p><figure id="figure-hvx9jbw23mlv3cwh8s"><img id="hvx9jbw23mlv3cwh8s" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1683394572742-1e471f60fc2a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNnx8Y3JlYXRpbmUlMjBzdXBwbGVtZW50YXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzMwNzY3fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="creatine supplementation" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1683394572742-1e471f60fc2a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNnx8Y3JlYXRpbmUlMjBzdXBwbGVtZW50YXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzMwNzY3fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>What is Creatine?</h3><p>Creatine is an amino acid but it isn't used to make protein; it's found naturally in foods like beef, pork and fish. Also, creatine is made in your own body every day so creatine is a completely normal and healthy part of your metabolism, not some dodgy artificial substance that has been discovered in a lab. As mentioned above as animals produce it in their cells creatine is found in animal muscle and that's why meat eaters tend to have higher levels of muscle creatine than vegans, however, It is not recommended to use meat as your primary source of creatine because to get the same amount of creatine as you'd get in one scoop of creatine monohydrate powder you'd need to eat almost 1.3 kilograms of beef. This would not only come with a lot of unnecessary calories - about 1500 calories if you use lean beef it's also very expensive. That's why creatine supplements can be so beneficial and valuable for the money.</p><p>Continuous supplementation of creatine can increase the amount of creatine in your muscles by 20% to 40%. Another advantage is that the creatine that you can buy in supplements is usually 100% vegan which could be beneficial as vegans tend to have lower levels of creatine than meat eaters putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to performance.</p><h3>What does Creatine do?</h3><p>The main role of creatine in the body is energy production. Specifically, high-intensity energy production is the kind of energy used for short quick explosive movements like lifting weights. The body generates energy using a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is broken up to release energy and it loses a phosphate group and becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creatine is found in the muscles joined to a phosphoryl group and can recharge the ADP by replacing its phosphate and turning it back into ATP. That way your muscles have a more constant supply of energy for high-intensity work.</p><p>More creatine in your muscles allows you to train or perform harder and for longer. In reality, that means creatine can benefit exercise performance in a lot of different ways. There's a huge amount of research to suggest that creatine can improve sprint performance, help lift more weight, do more overall volume, and improve glycogen synthesis in the muscle which means you have a ready source of energy for continued exercise. Moreover, it can improve the anaerobic exercise threshold which is the ability to do quick, high-intensity or explosive exercise. Lastly, it might improve aerobic capacity and improve recovery.</p><p><strong><em>In summary, creatine can help you build more muscle by allowing you to train harder, accumulate more high-quality training volume, and recover better which in the long term leads to muscle growth.</em></strong></p><figure id="figure-wo9b34g4elv3cwill"><img id="wo9b34g4elv3cwill" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529516548873-9ce57c8f155e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOHx8Y3JlYXRpbmUlMjBtdXNjbGUlMjBzaXplfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzMzMDc2OXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="creatine muscle size" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529516548873-9ce57c8f155e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOHx8Y3JlYXRpbmUlMjBtdXNjbGUlMjBzaXplfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzMzMDc2OXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Dosage Explained (Amount)</h3><p>How much creatine should you have? There is a straightforward answer to that question. You should take three to five grams per day. Creatine powders usually come with a mini scoop which measures out to about 5 grams of creatine. Taking one of those a day will be sufficient for most people. In regards to deciding if you should take 3 or 5 grams, it depends on your size. The bigger and more muscular you are the more creatine you may need. so very big and muscular individuals who are also very active might want to take even more, maybe up to 10 grams a day. You don't need to worry about overdosing creatine as it's perfectly safe and you'll pee out the excess.</p><p>The point of supplementing with creatine is to build up the amount of creatine in the muscles to the point where you can't increase it anymore. Once muscles are saturated with creatine 100% all you need to do is to maintain it at this level. By the way, this is the point at which you'll get the most performance-enhancing effects. It can take up to four weeks to fully saturate your muscles with the aforementioned dosage.</p><p>A loading phase is also an option if you don't want to wait 4 weeks for maximal muscle saturation with creatine. Take a higher dose of creatine, usually 20 grams a day for a week to load your muscles with creatine and then drop down to three to five grams a day to maintain that level of muscle saturation. There is no need to load but it may help you get faster performance results.</p><h3>Dosage Explained (Time)</h3><p>What time of day should you take creatine? There is a straightforward answer to that question as well. It doesn't matter when you take creatine. The most important thing is to take it daily and consistently to keep the muscles saturated with creatine all the time. It doesn't matter if it is taken before or after a workout as it's not going to give you any kind of pre-workout boost. This is simply because muscles need to be saturated with creatine to get performance-enhancing effects as mentioned above.</p><p>How long can you stay on creatine? Again, a quick and straightforward answer is you don't need to stop taking creatine at all. It is safe for long-term use with some studies of creatine doses as high as 30 grams per day for up to five years without any problems at all. Moreover, there's no biological mechanism that could cause a serious problem in healthy people.</p><p><strong><em>In Summary, take 3 to 5 grams of creatine daily, preferably with food at any time in the day. Remember that you might start experiencing the best performance-enhancing effects of creatine up to 4 weeks from starting your supplementation.&nbsp;</em></strong></p><h3>Types of Creatine</h3><p>There are different forms of creatine monohydrate: creapure, micronized creatine, regular creatine monohydrate, and tablets.&nbsp;</p><p>Creapure is a specific form of creatine monohydrate produced by the German company Azkam Trustburg. It is one of the purest creatine available on the market with a purity of 99.9% compared to regular creatine monohydrate which is around 98% to 99% pure.</p><p>Micronized creatine is creatine that simply has been micronized which means the powder has been made even finer, so the particles are smaller and at greater number. This gives a greater surface area than regular creatine which is supposed to substantially increase the absorption and reduce the risk of stomach upsets. If regular creatine monohydrate gives you stomach upsets then you might want to try micronized creatine to see if it's better tolerated.</p><p>The caveat is that regular creatine monohydrate is already absorbed very well and if it doesn't cause any stomach upsets then you shouldn't worry about it.</p><figure id="figure-mepxcfbo4hlv3dbkwz"><img id="mepxcfbo4hlv3dbkwz" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1693996045463-6ea86d10a2e7?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxjcmVhdGluZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTMzMzA5MDh8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="a scoop of powder next to a scoop of sugar" title="a scoop of powder next to a scoop of sugar" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1693996045463-6ea86d10a2e7?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxjcmVhdGluZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTMzMzA5MDh8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Safety/Side Effects</h3><p>While creatine is an incredibly safe supplement it has been shown to have some side effects in some people - gastric distress. It can upset your stomach when you take creatine which is why it is not usually recommended to load creatine. However, you can try to reduce this side effect by not taking creatine on an empty stomach and trying to split your dose into smaller amounts throughout the day. In general, all the evidence we have so far says it's safe to use in healthy people.</p><h3>Weight Gain/Water</h3><p>This isn't a problem for most people unless they have an obsessive relationship with scales. When you start taking creatine you might notice a sudden increase in weight sometimes up to as much as 2.5kg or even more but that stabilizes when you are using it consistently. Furthermore, it's not fat that you gain. Weight gain is caused by the fact that creatine attracts water to it to be stored, mostly in the muscles. If anything you may notice that your muscles look bigger and overall they may look leaner.</p><p>Note that because creatine makes you hold a bit more water it doesn't mean you have to start drinking gallons and gallons of water. You should be drinking a lot of water already by the way. Again, this water is stored intracellularly rather than extracellularly which is the desired effect as the muscles look bigger or fuller which leads to your overall physique looking better.</p><figure id="figure-d2c6nyywkklv3dcy91"><img id="d2c6nyywkklv3dcy91" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/0V8iTx9bMYjxHsURcrpry8WUVbxpK07RXoRUngOKDbRImBmaauTO6qC67cMX1pSS.jpeg" alt="Sport supplement, creatine, hmb, bcaa, amino acid or vitamin - scoop with some powder over a glass of water. Sport nutrition or health concept." title="Sport supplement, creatine, hmb, bcaa, amino acid or vitamin - scoop with some powder over a glass of water. Sport nutrition or health concept." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/0V8iTx9bMYjxHsURcrpry8WUVbxpK07RXoRUngOKDbRImBmaauTO6qC67cMX1pSS.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Dosage/Timing/Saturation</h3><p>Supplements can have acute and/or chronic effects. For example, caffeine has an acute effect because when taken you can experience the results almost immediately, if not up then surely within 45 to 60 minutes. Creatine doesn't work that way as explained in the first part of this series of articles. You feel the effects of creatine by saturating your muscle cells with it. This can take up to a week if you load or a few weeks if you take just 5 grams a day. Then the effect is pretty constant once the muscles are loaded. So, it doesn't matter if creatine is taken in the evening one day and the morning the next. There is no need to worry about taking it exactly 24 hours between doses.</p><p>If you stop taking it once your muscles are fully saturated from taking creatine it can take about 4 to 6 weeks for creatine levels to drop back to normal which could only cause losing a little bit of water weight and a drop in performance in the gym. However, you will not lose your muscles.</p><h3>Final Thought</h3><p>Creatine Monohydrate is the most studied supplement out there in terms of its safety and benefits. It is absolutely safe and effective for increasing performance in the gym. It is recommended to take 3 to 5 grams of regular creatine monohydrate daily, preferably with food at any time in the day. No loading phase is required. Remember that you might start experiencing the best performance-enhancing effects of creatine up to 4 weeks from starting your supplementation.</p>

Creatine Explained

Foods rich in vitamin D. Food rich in natural vitamin d as carrots, fish, eggs, chia, cheese, milk, mushrooms, canned tuna, pumpkin, bellpepper, oil, meat and capsules Top view

<p>Vitamin D3, also known as the "sunshine vitamin," plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being. Generally, it is recommended that everyone considers supplementing with vitamin D. In this article, we will explain why. You will learn how the body makes vitamin d, why the body doesn't make enough of it, what it does for you, and how much you should consider taking.</p><figure id="figure-7nt3rq1j5alv3c5s9u" class=""><img id="7nt3rq1j5alv3c5s9u" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1508175298536-d6ac44fc38b8?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8dml0YW1pbiUyMEQzJTIwc3VubGlnaHR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NTIyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="vitamin D3 sunlight" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1508175298536-d6ac44fc38b8?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8dml0YW1pbiUyMEQzJTIwc3VubGlnaHR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NTIyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Vitamin D - What Is It?</h3><p>Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means it dissolves and can be stored in fat. On the contrary, Vitamins like B and C are water-soluble and they can't be stored in our bodies. Any excess that we consume gets peed out while fat-soluble vitamins are stored in our bodies. This means that we can store any extra Vitamin D we make, consume or get from the sun.</p><h3>Vitamin D - Production</h3><p>Vitamin D can be made in our skin when we're exposed to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B or UVB rays. The body uses cholesterol to form a substance called 7-dehydrocholesterol when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Just under the skin 7-dehydrocholesterol gets converted to Pre-Vitamin D3 which then gets converted to Cholecalciferol. This then gets converted to 25 (OH)D3 which is what scientists use to measure serum Vitamin D levels. finally, this gets converted to the active form of Calcitriol in the kidneys.</p><p>An important fact to know is that we can store so much of it that it can become toxic in our bodies. This is called hypervitaminosis D and it causes some serious issues. Nothing to worry though as the production of Vitamin D in our skin uses a feedback system that stops producing too much Vitamin D from sunlight which is why we never have to worry about producing too much. This is also the problem as we just can't get enough Vitamin D from sunlight alone. Not to mention, we all spend a lot of time indoors and when we do leave the house we're usually fully clothed and/or travel around in cars and the car’s glass filters out UVB rays. Also, you might live far from the equator like the UK, and only be able to get enough UVB rays to produce vitamin D in the summer.</p><figure id="figure-b6n4187vojlv3ca67t"><img id="b6n4187vojlv3ca67t" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1438401817917-ee9dc33fe6af?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNHx8Zm9vZHMlMjByaWNoJTIwaW4lMjB2aXRhbWluJTIwZDN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NzI2fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="foods rich in vitamin d3" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1438401817917-ee9dc33fe6af?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNHx8Zm9vZHMlMjByaWNoJTIwaW4lMjB2aXRhbWluJTIwZDN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NzI2fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Vitamin D - Food &amp; Deficiencies</h3><p>Unfortunately, there are very few good sources of Vitamin D in our diet. It's found in meat eggs or dairy but not in high amounts. To put it in perspective you'd need to eat 2kgs of steak just to get your daily amount of Vitamin D. Dairy products often have even less and that's why they are often fortified with Vitamin D to prevent deficiency. Egg yolks are a little better but you'd still need around 250 grams of pure egg yolk just to meet your daily dose. On the contrary animal, the liver can be a good source of Vitamin D as can some oily fish and fish liver.</p><p>This is why Vitamin D deficiency is so common. When serum levels of Vitamin D are below 50 nanomoles per liter you are considered insufficient. Now statistics show that 40% of Europeans have levels below that and 13% have levels below 30 nanomoles per litre. That's why Vitamin D deficiency is considered to be a global health problem.</p><figure id="figure-z0derxfc5klv3ca71r"><img id="z0derxfc5klv3ca71r" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1635847263041-5f216c369afb?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw5fHx2aXRhbWluJTIwZDMlMjBkZWZpY2llbmN5fGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzMyOTcyN3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="vitamin d3 deficiency" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1635847263041-5f216c369afb?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw5fHx2aXRhbWluJTIwZDMlMjBkZWZpY2llbmN5fGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzMyOTcyN3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Vitamin D - Role In The Body</h3><p>There are many important functions through something called the Vitamin D receptor. Vitamin D binds with this nuclear receptor and then regulates the expression of specific genes. Vitamin D receptor is found in virtually every tissue in the body which means that vitamin D has a big role to play in our health.</p><p>One of Vitamin D's most popular roles is in bone health which is because it regulates the body's blood calcium levels. Vitamin D helps to increase the absorption of calcium from our gut and when blood calcium levels drop it helps to absorb more calcium from our kidneys. Furthermore, it can even take calcium from bones if it is needed as the level of calcium in the blood needs to be maintained at a specific level due to many essential processes in the body such as nerve transmission or muscle contraction. Moreover, due to its role in calcium metabolism Vitamin D is essential for building a strong skeleton. Lower Vitamin D levels are associated with lower bone mineral density and a greater risk of fractures in both younger and older people.</p><figure id="figure-542lo9upolv3chtrs"><img id="542lo9upolv3chtrs" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/f9C66Xsm0iPaA6MKnkkfNFxWtcO4edHhTVEpmRby5UcGmFqpEPzBcglc153xJTG8.jpeg" alt="Success comes with tenacity. Muscular man do sport. Achieving success in sport. Man develop muscular power and strength. Sport and health care. My goal is to stay in good health." title="Success comes with tenacity. Muscular man do sport. Achieving success in sport. Man develop muscular power and strength. Sport and health care. My goal is to stay in good health." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/f9C66Xsm0iPaA6MKnkkfNFxWtcO4edHhTVEpmRby5UcGmFqpEPzBcglc153xJTG8.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>Vitamin D also plays an important role in insulin sensitivity, which is the way we process glucose. Additionally, Vitamin D is important for the health of the body's fat stores. Finally, Vitamin D has a massive role to play in the body's immune system helping to fight off disease. Low Vitamin D levels are associated with a greater risk of autoimmune disease as well as higher rates of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other cardiometabolic conditions.</p><p>Vitamin D also has a major role to play in muscle growth as higher levels of Vitamin D are associated with higher levels of testosterone, greater muscle mass, strength, and physical function. Higher levels of Vitamin D are also associated with a lower risk of death as we age.</p><h3>Vitamin D - Dosage</h3><p>Generally, You need to aim to increase Vitamin D serum levels to above 50 nanomoles per litre in order to reap the benefits. However, this may take time especially if your serum levels were below 50 to start with which is usually the case.</p><p>As we can see above, Vitamin D is very important for our bodies, and because we don't get much from our diet or sunlight supplementing it seems to be a good idea. However, the current UK recommendation is 400 international units which is not going to increase your serum levels at all. Most multivitamins contain this amount which is why you might want to consider supplementing with Vitamin D itself. Now, to efficiently increase your Vitamin D serum level over time higher doses are recommended. The upper recommended dosage is 4,000 international units. If your serum levels are way below the standard of 50 nanomoles, the doctor may prescribe you an even higher dosage. It is a good idea to supplement yourself with the upper dosage of Vitamin D and test your levels in the meantime as it takes time for the serum levels to increase.</p><p>On the contrary, there is a negative side effect of consuming way more Vitamin D than we need and are able to store. It can become toxic in the body and have some serious negative health effects. Hypervitaminosis D is very real and Vitamin D3 should be consumed at more than the upper limit for a prolonged period of time.</p><figure id="figure-t59tscum1flv3ca7wp"><img id="t59tscum1flv3ca7wp" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1621485099116-dfc893e4f31d?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8dml0YW1pbiUyMGQzJTIwc3VwcGxlbWVudHN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NzI5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="vitamin d3 supplements" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1621485099116-dfc893e4f31d?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8dml0YW1pbiUyMGQzJTIwc3VwcGxlbWVudHN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzEzMzI5NzI5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Final Thought</h3><p>Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is vital to the body. Many important roles it has in the body start with bone health, insulin sensitivity, the health of fat storage, muscle growth, testosterone levels, and physical functions. It can be made in your skin when exposed to sunlight but not in great amounts. That’s why it is recommended to supplement it with an upper dose of 4000 IU. It should be taken a long period of time to increase its stores to get health benefits. It is safe to use however the upper dosage should be exceeded.</p>

Vitamin D3 Explained

<p>Fish oil is a popular supplement that has gained attention for its numerous health benefits. Derived from the tissues of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).</p><p>In this article, you are going to learn what it is, what it does in your body, and what it can do for your health. You can then take all the information and decide whether Fish Oil is worth your investment.</p><h3>Fish Oil - What is it?</h3><p>Fish oil is a common term used to refer to two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Moreover, "Fish oil" refers to a solution of fatty acids where the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are dominant. But, to understand fish oil and its beneficial contribution to our health even better, we are going to need to get back to basics and discuss fats.</p><figure id="figure-mds7hvj7ihlv27myvc"><img id="mds7hvj7ihlv27myvc" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1578507065211-1c4e99a5fd24?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8ZmlzaCUyMG9pbCUyMGJlbmVmaXRzfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzI2MTQ1OXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fish oil benefits" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1578507065211-1c4e99a5fd24?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOXx8ZmlzaCUyMG9pbCUyMGJlbmVmaXRzfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzI2MTQ1OXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>Understanding Fats</h3><p>Fats are macronutrients that are made up of three fatty acids combined with a molecule called glycerol. The fatty acids can be divided into three main categories based on the types of bonds they have:</p><p><strong>Saturated fat</strong> can be found in foods like butter meat and coconut oil. Saturated fat is made up of fatty acids that have no double bonds and fatty acid chains have all single bonds with carbon. This is why they're called saturated because they're saturated with carbon atoms. Furthermore, because of this structural characteristic saturated fatty acids are straight and can pack together tightly which is why saturated fats are often solid at room temperature.</p><p><strong>Unsaturated fatty acids</strong> have at least one double bond and this bond causes the fatty acid chain to have a slight bend in the middle which means unsaturated fats don't pack together as tightly and are liquid at room temperature.</p><p>There are two types of unsaturated fats; monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats:</p><p><strong>- The monounsaturated fatty</strong> acid has only one double bond in its structure, and one slight kink in the chain. They can be found in olive oil, rapeseed oil, spreads made from this oil, avocados, and nuts such as almonds, brazils, and peanuts.</p><p><strong>- The polyunsaturated fatty acid</strong> has more than one double bond and even more links in the chain. We can further classify polyunsaturated fatty acids by where the first double bond appears in the chain. If the first double bond appears at the sixth carbon atom from the end of the chain it's called an omega-6 fatty acid. They can be found in sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and other vegetable oils. If the first double bond occurs at the third carbon atom from the end it's called an omega-3 fatty acid. They can be found in flax seeds, walnuts, and oily fish.</p><figure id="figure-jhq7ywkhlslv27n0e2" class=""><img id="jhq7ywkhlslv27n0e2" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1466354424719-343280fe118b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNXx8ZmlzaCUyMG9pbCUyMGNhcHN1bGVzfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzI2MTQ2MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fish oil capsules" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1466354424719-343280fe118b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNXx8ZmlzaCUyMG9pbCUyMGNhcHN1bGVzfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMzI2MTQ2MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><p>There are over 10 different omega-3 fatty acids that can be found in nature. Each of the omega-3 fatty acids varies in length and number of double bonds. Humans and animals aren't able to make unsaturated fatty acids which means we need to get them from our diet which is why the two aforementioned polyunsaturated fatty acids are called essential fatty acids. The omega-3s that we are interested in are Linoleic Acid (LA) - the omega-6 essential fatty acid and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) - the omega-3 essential fatty acid.</p><p>Furthermore, ALA needs to be converted to a more active form to be used by our bodies. It needs to be made longer and to be more unsaturated. Once this happens they are called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. One of the long-chain fatty acids produced is called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA is then converted to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).</p><p>Finally, it's EPA and DHA that seem to have some very significant health benefits. The greatest source of those two is oily fish. Make a note that it has to be oily fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, and the oiliest mackerel (3.2 grams of omega-3 per 100 grams) as white fish like cod is so low on fat that it can't be considered a source of omega-3.</p><h3>Fish Oil - Benefits</h3><p>Omega-3s play a huge role in a lot of our body's processes from immunity and inflammation to brain development and heart health. They are called essential fatty acids for a reason as we need them to live and to be healthy. The fatty acids EPA and DHA are involved in regulating various biological processes such as the inflammatory response, various metabolic signalling pathways, and brain function. Here is a brief overview of the health benefits of fish oil.</p><p><em><strong>&nbsp;-&nbsp;Cardiovascular System</strong></em></p><p>Fish oil causes a significant reduction in triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are one of the main blood lipids tested along with total and HDL cholesterol. Excessively high triglycerides can lead to a greater risk of heart disease. 20-35% decrease in triglyceride levels with 2-4 grams of omega-3 supplement over 6-8 weeks has been shown.</p><p>It can significantly increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is popularly known as “good” cholesterol, decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) known as “bad” cholesterol, and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol which is sometimes considered “bad” cholesterol</p><p>It can reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure when used regularly.</p><figure id="figure-r7y66zfccolv284usl" class=""><img id="r7y66zfccolv284usl" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/28pp0IzyUYrAUR6JZB5vgAWENG6Um3xdybHTmxJwrTqWtxsT6npJAZ9jvZSyZrjY.jpeg" alt="Angry manager looking to wall with drawn overloaded brain concept" title="Angry manager looking to wall with drawn overloaded brain concept" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/28pp0IzyUYrAUR6JZB5vgAWENG6Um3xdybHTmxJwrTqWtxsT6npJAZ9jvZSyZrjY.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><p><strong><em>- Brain, Muscular and Nervous System</em></strong></p><p>EPA and DHA help maintain muscle size and strength as we get older. DHA is essential for proper brain development, and function and is neuroprotective. DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, making up 10-20% of total brain lipid content. DHA increases the number of synapses in the brain and regulates neurotransmission throughout the nervous system.</p><p><strong><em>- Mood</em></strong></p><p>It appears to notably improve mood in people with major depression. EPA and DHA are effective in reducing anxiety by 20% when supplemented with around 2.5 grams per day. Fish oil is considered to regulate the transmission of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine which are important in mood and cognitive health. </p><p><strong>- Inflammation and Immunity</strong></p><p>Fish oil may lower markers of inflammation. Due to decreased chronic inflammation and autoimmune markers, it may improve symptoms of arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Note that most of fish oil's beneficial effects happen over days and weeks, rather than immediately. Also, even though fish oil is not a stimulant, it increases brain activity, so a stimulatory effect may be felt after supplementation.</p><h3>Fish Oil - Dosage</h3><p>The main problem with getting enough omega-3 through eating fish is that you'd have to eat a lot of it and there are a lot of people that simply don't like it. Then you also have to consider the calories that come with it. There are about 170 calories in 100 grams of mackerel and 150 calories in 100 grams of salmon. If you are trying to lose weight by being in a caloric deficit this could make a big portion of your daily calories that you could use differently.</p><p>Essentially, this is where fish oil supplements come in to be of benefit for you as could get the EPA and DHA you need from 1 to 3 grams a day of fish oil which makes a maximum of 27 calories. Moreover, if you're a vegetarian or vegan you can also get EPA and DHA from algal oil supplements. The reason oily fish is so high in EPA and DHA is that algae are the base of the ocean food chain and these fatty acids build up in the flesh of fish.</p><p>There is a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to how much omega-3 you need in your diet. Fish oil doses vary depending on the goal of supplementation. For general health, 250mg of combined EPA and DHA is the minimum dose and can be obtained via fish intake or fish oil supplementation.</p><p>Now, the thing is to look for a good fish oil supplement and those vary in how much EPA and DHA they contain per capsule. A good dose to aim is 1000 to 2000 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA to be consumed per day. Typically, 1,000 mg of fish oil supplies around 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA. Generally, up to 3,000 mg of fish oil daily is considered safe for adults.</p><h3>Final Thoughts</h3><p>When looking at all the benefits that have been associated with the appropriate dosage of omega-3s, we cannot deny the fact that they are an essential nutrient in preserving our health and well-being. As we can see above they serve as important mediators in many tissues and organs throughout the body. Insufficient intake of omega-3 could lead to many issues such as decreased brain function, depressed mood, and elevated inflammation which with time can lead to much more significant problems.</p><figure id="figure-9bk324nwdclv3c2eek"><img id="9bk324nwdclv3c2eek" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/3buQnML9T8YfoeHexnBtTKO0qM8ddqzUPZKQXKcC694my5U6wNwZyRW9Dkxpmonr.jpeg" alt="fish oil capsules with fresh" title="fish oil capsules with fresh" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p> </p><p>So, it makes sense to put a few portions of oily fish in our diets or if we do not necessarily want to be bothered with that we can simply use good fish oil or krill oil supplement to cover all our bases. Ultimately, just make sure you are getting enough EPA and DHA in your diet consistently whichever way is convenient to you. The dosage that seems to be most beneficial for preserving overall health starts from around 2 grams per day of combined EPA and DHA.</p>

Fish Oil Explained

half filled wine glass beside half empty clear pint glass

<p>Starting a fitness journey often leads to questions about drinking alcohol while training and dieting. Which drinks have the least impact? How much alcohol is okay? How often can you drink? Moderation is key, but it's crucial to make informed choices. Although research is clear on the negative effects of alcohol on fitness, many still make unsustainable choices due to the social aspects of drinking.</p><h3>Introduction</h3><p>There is no doubt alcohol has negative effects on your fitness and health. They include reduced growth potential of muscles and increased difficulty in maintaining muscle. Furthermore, alcohol consumption promotes fat gain (directly through added calories and indirectly through signalling) and limits the ability to recover together negatively impacting your performance and health.</p><figure id="figure-q7d2wgo273lv23r4nc"><img id="q7d2wgo273lv23r4nc" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/13Pg8Ah3V4sMhNAkhWUyWBULMHkbzwCUmdUyVO3HZn0rMjjXC3KqmK0ovGa6PJBB.jpeg" alt="Bartender holding elegant long drink glass filled with Tom Collins cocktail against the bar lights" title="Bartender holding elegant long drink glass filled with Tom Collins cocktail against the bar lights" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/13Pg8Ah3V4sMhNAkhWUyWBULMHkbzwCUmdUyVO3HZn0rMjjXC3KqmK0ovGa6PJBB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Calories in Alcohol</h3><p>Firstly, alcohol contains energy in significant amounts. It has 7 calories per gram. Considering fat contains 9 calories per gram, and the fact alcohol is so easy to consume, this alone helps to explain why weight gain is so quick to occur with regular drinking. We could compare drinking alcohol to drinking fat from the energy intake perspective. Moreover, this calorie content is just in the alcohol itself, and not yet considering the calories in mixers and preparation methods.</p><h3>Processing of Alcohol</h3><p>During the process of metabolizing alcohol after consumption, protein, carbs, and more importantly, fat is all put on hold, and the body focuses on metabolizing and getting rid of newly introduced alcohol. Since alcohol itself has no nutritional value to the body and is toxic in substantial amounts, the body prioritizes the process of breaking down and eliminating alcohol before metabolizing any other source of calories. Consequently, any effort to lose body fat (or maintain body fat loss) is put on hold until the alcohol is fully broken down and out of the body. This causes delayed fat loss and more easily accumulated body fat.</p><figure id="figure-x8pe8iltfllv23r6uj"><img id="x8pe8iltfllv23r6uj" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/2cIwXSYeORf1ia19lrF6quJY0jDxbjEUeuyEUF7qQVwFWQ6H6jJDUTdXfLKTZkjF.jpeg" alt="A elongated glass filled with clean drinking water. Water is poured into a glass, a natural green floral background." title="A elongated glass filled with clean drinking water. Water is poured into a glass, a natural green floral background." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/2cIwXSYeORf1ia19lrF6quJY0jDxbjEUeuyEUF7qQVwFWQ6H6jJDUTdXfLKTZkjF.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>Furthermore, alcohol acts as a diuretic and merely 3-4% dehydration impedes performance. This, put together with the typically neglected water consumption when drinking, leads to dehydration. Dehydration itself, along with its contribution to hangovers can make the following morning workout after a night out drinking suboptimal. For someone who drinks frequently on weekends- creating an insufficient environment for optimal training 1-2 workouts per week can add up over time to create a significant loss in potential improvements throughout a training career.</p><h3>Training and Alcohol</h3><p>Whenever it comes to improving our physiques or competing against our opponents or ourselves, we are constantly looking for the next big challenge or next big edge and breakthrough which is why workout performance is important. Together with the timing of nutrients, the periodization of training, supplementation, and hydration are all factors to consider when looking at optimizing your efforts in the gym. As mentioned above, chronic alcohol consumption can negatively impact mental &amp; physical performance, recovery (alcohol intake has been shown to inhibit recovery of muscle tissue after exercise through reduced muscle protein synthesis, as well as other mechanistic effects), and even hormone balance (alcohol has been shown to reduce testosterone levels). This may ultimately result not only in impeding your weight loss but also in facing some training plateaus, making all your efforts in the gym and kitchen redundant.</p><figure id="figure-qzvtyhz1aflv23r7hi"><img id="qzvtyhz1aflv23r7hi" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/27Db7YzLHDZWXugzsBGmQ99ehqZ0qc8MI7o6he0zsfzV5mm8HC1J1Ubtag2gd8zo.jpeg" alt="Colorful cocktail on black background. Man taking cocktail drink. Hand grabbing alcoholic drinks." title="Colorful cocktail on black background. Man taking cocktail drink. Hand grabbing alcoholic drinks." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/27Db7YzLHDZWXugzsBGmQ99ehqZ0qc8MI7o6he0zsfzV5mm8HC1J1Ubtag2gd8zo.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>There are still some ways and practices to be able to enjoy a drink now and again. In general, the more you drink, the worse your outcomes will be. It can be scaled by the quantity of total alcohol you have each day or week, and also by your habit of drinking to the point of inebriation. In either case, the more time spent intoxicated per week and the higher the total weekly alcohol consumption, the greater the negative impact.</p><h3>What To Do</h3><p>Many people respond to this information by eliminating alcohol. While this may be suitable for some, it may be unnecessarily extreme for others, who can drink in moderation and enjoy it. Tabooing alcohol for a non-addict can increase its desirability and lead to "binge-purge" behaviors.</p><figure id="figure-j57kmrjo2vlv23r837"><img id="j57kmrjo2vlv23r837" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1618885472179-5e474019f2a9?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxtb2RlcmF0aW9uJTIwYW5kJTIwYWxjb2hvbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTMyNTQ5Mzl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="moderation and alcohol" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1618885472179-5e474019f2a9?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxtb2RlcmF0aW9uJTIwYW5kJTIwYWxjb2hvbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTMyNTQ5Mzl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><p>Other people try to compensate for alcohol consumption by exercising more or eating less. It might keep your calories-in, in, and calories-out in check, but it also amplifies the damaging effects of alcohol (impacting recovery, muscle maintenance/growth, performance, and health). When individuals punish themselves with exercise or restrictions for indulging, they may also develop unhealthy attitudes and behaviors.</p><h3>Final Thought</h3><p>As with most things, the best answer depends on the individual. A moderate amount of alcohol can bring joy, and distraction, and enrich social interactions. In most cases, moderate drinking is probably the best course of action when it comes to alcohol - except for those with addiction issues to consider.</p>