Alcohol Metabolism- Is it true?

[Mijass2001]

I'm training for my second competition and have a friend in the office who shares my love for nutrition and exercise - We've recently gotten onto the discussion of drinking while you're training and he forwards me this link over the weekend...

"5.4 Alcohol metabolism The primary place where alcohol is metabolized is the liver. Liver cells contain ADH, which converts alcohol to acetaldehyde. Other enzymes in turn convert the acetaldehyde to carbon dioxide and water, which are excreted from the body."\

http://science.education.nih.gov/sup...fo-alcohol.htm

He says it's "scientifically impossible for alcohol to convert into fat on the body"

WTH??

[cumminslifter]

yes alcohol cannot be stored in the body, your body does everything possible to get rid of it. it suppresses oxidation of any other macronutrients to process the alcohol

[Terrimonas]

I'm training for my second competition and have a friend in the office who shares my love for nutrition and exercise - We've recently gotten onto the discussion of drinking while you're training and he forwards me this link over the weekend...

"5.4 Alcohol metabolism The primary place where alcohol is metabolized is the liver. Liver cells contain ADH, which converts alcohol to acetaldehyde. Other enzymes in turn convert the acetaldehyde to carbon dioxide and water, which are excreted from the body."\

http://science.education.nih.gov/sup...fo-alcohol.htm

He says it's "scientifically impossible for alcohol to convert into fat on the body"

WTH??

Acetate, which is what acetaldehyde is metabolized to, can be oxidized OR used as a substrate for de novo lipogenesis. However, DNL being the fate is a fairly small percentage.

[cumminslifter]

Acetate, which is what acetaldehyde is metabolized to, can be oxidized OR used as a substrate for de novo lipogenesis. However, DNL being the fate is a fairly small percentage.

in what situations would this occur?

[TommyGun1988]

yes alcohol cannot be stored in the body, your body does everything possible to get rid of it. it suppresses oxidation of any other macronutrients to process the alcohol

So drinking vodka and a diet soda is effectively 0 cal? Bit confused, serious question.

[rhadam]

So drinking vodka and a diet soda is effectively 0 cal? Bit confused, serious question.

No.

[cumminslifter]

So drinking vodka and a diet soda is effectively 0 cal? Bit confused, serious question.

this is what i have always been confused about
alcohol has 7 cals but it cant be stored, so how do those cals count?
i hope someone more experienced on the subject chimes in

[TommyGun1988]

No.

So your body uses alcohol as its primary source of energy while alcohol is present? Like I said I dont really understand, anybody care to inform me?

[Terrimonas]

this is what i have always been confused about
alcohol has 7 cals but it cant be stored, so how do those cals count?
i hope someone more experienced on the subject chimes in

Some can be converted to fatty acids and "stored" I said. Most acetate escapes the liver. What doesn't escape the liver can be acted upon by cytosolic acetyl CoA synthetase I forming Acetyl CoA for use in cytosolic pathways of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.

The acetate that escapes the liver can be utilized by various tissues to yield ATP - i.e. energy. And the actual ATP yield varies with the route of alcohol metabolism.

[cumminslifter]

Some can be converted to fatty acids and "stored" I said. Most acetate escapes the liver. What doesn't escape the liver can be acted upon by cytosolic acetyl CoA synthetase I forming Acetyl CoA for use in cytosolic pathways of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.

The acetate that escapes the liver can be utilized by various tissues to yield ATP - i.e. energy. And the actual ATP yield varies with the route of alcohol metabolism.

ya but like you said its rare right?
so why should we count alcohol as 7 cal when its most likely not contributing

[aaron2686]

I could be totally wrong about this, but I'm going to throw out a guess as to how alcohol calories matter.

My guess is that because the body cannot store most calories from alcohol, and thus metabolizes it as quickly as possible, the alcohol effectively blocks glucose from being metabolized and leaves it sitting in the bloodstream where it is soon stored as fat or glycogen. Basically, if you think of there being a queue of glucose waiting to be burned up, lest it be stored as fat if it sits too long, imagine the alcohol skipping to the front of the line and leaving all the glucose behind to be stored as fat/glycogen.

As I said, this is probably wrong and comically simplistic, but I like to hear myself type.

[BookMonkey]

Almost anything can become fat. However, due to the various needs of the body, certain pathways are favored over other ones. An excess of a particular substrate, however, will push a pathway in the other direction (supplying the pathway is reversible). So, to answer OPs question: yes and no. Small amounts of alcohol will not get converted to fat, however abuse of alcohol can cause fat creation to occur. But by that time, you'll probably be having worse issues than fat gain.

[cumminslifter]

Almost anything can become fat. However, due to the various needs of the body, certain pathways are favored over other ones. An excess of a particular substrate, however, will push a pathway in the other direction (supplying the pathway is reversible). So, to answer OPs question: yes and no. Small amounts of alcohol will not get converted to fat, however abuse of alcohol can cause fat creation to occur. But by that time, you'll probably be having worse issues than fat gain.

which leads me back to my original question of why we calculate alcohol as 7cal

[BookMonkey]

which leads me back to my original question of why we calculate alcohol as 7cal

I would have to go back to my biochem textbook, but if I remember right, it has to do with how alcohol dehydrogenase uses up ethanol to convert it into a usable product (ie. acetaldehyde) so that it can be used for other things. Its considered empty calories due to the fact that it carries no other nutrients while still having a caloric value. But like I said, I'd need to go back and read some for a proper answer unless someone else knows off-hand.

Edit: Unless you mean the number itself. That has to do with the burning of the item. The same way protein, carbs, and fats have been averaged.

[DJohnson]

On an empty stomach (and to a lesser extent a full stomach) you'd normally burning fat stores all day/night. Simplified, If you drink 600kcal of alcohol that's 600kcal of fat that won't need to be released/burned in your body. Therefore more or less just like eating 600kcal.

[Terrimonas]

which leads me back to my original question of why we calculate alcohol as 7cal

If you consumed 10 grams of dextrose and all 10 grams were oxidized for energy immediately and none of it was used for glycogenesis, lipogenesis, etc.. and "stored"., would it have zero calories? Of course it wouldn't. Whether or not it has the potential to become "potential" stored energy is irrelevant. The acetate can be oxidized for energy and has caloric value, although 7 kcal/g is an overestimation.

[cumminslifter]

If you consumed 10 grams of dextrose and all 10 grams were oxidized for energy immediately and none of it was used for glycogenesis, lipogenesis, etc.. and "stored"., would it have zero calories? Of course it wouldn't. Whether or not it has the potential to become "potential" stored energy is irrelevant. The acetate can be oxidized for energy and has caloric value, although 7 kcal/g is an overestimation.

ya i guess that makes sense..

[SkydogGinsberg]

Somewhat relevant OP, is this article from that Aragon fella, "A Musclehead's Guide to Alcohol": http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...e_to_alcohol_1

It doesn't completely answer your question because some of it is "Who Knows?" (research is sparse), but it is food for thought, with some benefits/tradeoffs discussion.