SciShow is supported by Blue Apron and right now, Blue Apron is offering $50 off two weeks of meals to the first 50 SciShow viewers to sign up.

Get fresh ingredients and creative recipes delivered right to your door by clicking on the link in the description! [ ♪ Intro ]. It’s not uncommon to see athletes finish a big event and then immediately crack open a celebratory beer.

And that makes sense right? Beer has water, electrolytes and simple carbs, just like your typical sports drink. Well, sorry to be a buzzkill, but the alcohol in it makes beer a pretty terrible choice if you want to reap the full benefits of your workout.

After exercising, you feel thirsty because you‘re dehydrated. So, you need something nice and refreshing to replenish your fluids. Water is an obvious choice, but scientists have specifically designed sports drinks that work better.

In addition to water, these contain electrolytes—dissolved salts that help your body absorb fluid. Beer usually has at least a little salt in it, though it’s only like a tenth of the amount in your average Gatorade. Still, you might think that’s enough to do the trick.

But when researchers have compared the hydrating effects of beer to water, and yes, this has happened multiple times — water usually comes out on top, even against low-alcohol beers. And that’s because, while it might quench your thirst in the moment, beer is still a diuretic—it makes you pee more than the same amount of water would. Surely, though, you could just doublefist beer and water all night.

Then you’d be staying hydrated and getting all those great simple carbs that you need post-workout to replenish all the molecular fuel you just burned. But alas... Research has suggested that the alcohol in those beers can damage your muscles, kind of defeating the purpose of working out.

For a 2014 study, researchers had 8 physically active men come to a lab three times to perform a series of workouts, then consume a set of drinks that contained either protein, protein and alcohol, or carbs and alcohol. And they found that drinking alcohol led to reduction in myofibrillar protein synthesis—the generation of proteins like actin and myosin that make for bigger, stronger muscles. So, in other words, their muscles weren’t rebuilding like they should.

Muscle biopsies from a similar experiment with the same 8 men in 2016 revealed the post-workout alcohol triggered apoptosis, a cell death and breakdown process. Meanwhile, when they refrained from the booze, they had an increase in new mitochondria, signaling that they were recovering well. However, it’s important to note that the participants in these two studies didn’t just chug a beer or two—they drank the equivalent of a little over 12 standard drinks over 3 hours by downing vodka and OJ on a schedule.

The amount was based on what team athletes had actually reported drinking, though. And these aren’t the only studies to suggest alcohol impairs recovery. A 2014 review study ultimately discouraged athletes from drinking after games or workouts, but did admit that having a small amount in celebration is probably fine.

They concluded that less than half a gram per kilogram of body weight, or about 3 beers for an average adult male, probably wouldn’t affect recovery too much. So a few cold ones with your teammates might not do too much damage. But if you’re looking to rehydrate and build muscle, beer probably shouldn’t be your first choice.

Thanks to Blue Apron for sponsoring this video. And, thanks for helping me make dinner last night! And lunch today!

Leftovers! Blue Apron sends you chef-designed recipes and all the pre-measured ingredients you need to make delicious, healthy meals at home. And every week there are 8 recipes to choose from, so you’re always getting to try something new.

Last night I made the za’atar-roasted chicken and it was SO good! I really like how they lay out their recipes too. They’re just timed out really well, so you can just follow the steps in order and you’ll be over here chopping vegetables and then when you finish that….

Boom! The oven’s ready for the next step. It just made the whole thing super easy.

You don’t have to think about it too much, and in 40 minutes or less you’ve got yourself a fantastic meal to enjoy! So to work on your own chef skills and try new dishes every week with Blue Apron, check out the link in the description. Prices start at $7.49 per serving, and the first 50 SciShow viewers to sign up, will get $50 off their first two weeks! [ ♪ Outro ].