This is one of the most common questions I get from clients who are training hard and worried about the impact of those occasional drinks. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t straightforward. But after spending years studying and deciphering complex information, I’ll give you the quick response: probably.
To dig a little deeper, I did some research—after all, beer is among the top 10 energy sources for Australians. What I found is that how alcohol affects your figure depends on several factors, including genetics, diet, gender and your drinking habits.
How Alcohol Affects Your Body
When you drink alcohol, your body breaks it down into acetate, which is basically vinegar. Your body prioritises burning acetate for energy over any other calories you’ve consumed or stored, including fat and sugar. So, if you’re drinking and consuming more calories than your body needs, you’re more likely to store the fat from that cheese platter or the sugar from that soda because your body is focused on burning the alcohol first.
Studies have shown that alcohol temporarily inhibits “lipid oxidation,” which means that when alcohol is in your system, it’s harder for your body to burn existing fat. Since dietary fat is the most efficient source for your body to store as fat, consuming alcohol along with a high-fat diet can lead to more fat being stored.
Interestingly, scientists have observed that alcoholics aren’t as overweight as you might expect, despite the high number of calories they consume from alcohol. Metabolic studies on chronic alcohol abusers in 2010 revealed that if you drink enough, you can reach a threshold where some of the alcohol calories are essentially “wasted.” This happens because excessive alcohol consumption damages the liver to the point where it can’t efficiently process alcohol anymore, leading to calorie waste or storage in the liver. This can cause fatty liver disease, which can progress to cirrhosis and be fatal if untreated.
Dr. Marc Hellerstein, a professor of human nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley, likens this to how foie gras is made: “You stuff a goose with carbohydrates, the liver stores it as glycogen and fat, then they kill the goose, and it’s full of fat and sugar, so it tastes really great—that’s foie gras.” Essentially, that’s what happens to an alcoholic’s liver—hardly a pleasant thought.
The Impact on Your Figure
Even if excessive drinkers do end up wasting some of the alcohol calories, it doesn’t lead to a knockout figure. Habitual, excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased waist-to-hip ratio—commonly known as a beer belly.
So, if you want to enjoy alcohol in moderation, you might improve your HDL cholesterol levels, but you’ll still be consuming those extra calories. The key is balance—understanding that while moderate drinking can have some benefits, it’s important to be mindful of the calories and the impact on your overall health.