It is likely that fit people love being healthy. They are probably drinking lots of water, eating healthy meals, getting a good night’s rest, and not drinking as much alcohol. But that assumption is not entirely true. According to a recent study published by the American College of Sports Medicine, people who are physically fit tend to consume much more alcohol.
This cross-sectional study analyzed more than 38,000 participants who visited the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, for medical exams over a 31-year period. Through fitness and treadmill tests, as well as assessments of alcohol dependence, the researchers concluded that those with moderate and high fitness levels consumed moderate to high amounts of alcohol compared to their counterparts of alcohol. lower physical condition, for both men and women. The conclusion of the study recommends that “increasing physical fitness (through the promotion of physical activity) could at the same time consider the goal of reducing alcohol consumption.”
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While the reason why fit people consume more alcohol remains unknown, researchers have been immersed in the link between exercise and alcohol use for years.
A 2015 review in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that physical activity and alcohol consumption are “functionally coupled” and that adults generally drink more on exercise days. Surprisingly, the review also notes that “research to date does not suggest that this relationship is necessarily harmful to health in non-dependent individuals.”
Another study in 2016 from the British Journal of Sports Medicine also suggests that exercise can help “cancel out” some of the risk factors associated with alcohol use, such as an increased risk of death from chronic diseases such as Cancer Y cardiovascular disease. However, because it is an observational study, the researchers say it “suggests a relationship” between the two, and making a clear statement would be unwise as more research would be needed.
However, multiple sources claim that alcohol consumption can adversely affect your physical performance—Be it in the gym, playing a sport, or even in your everyday life. While the recent study shows a correlation between people who are very fit and drink more, it does not conclude that alcohol should be consumed if someone is in shape or getting fit.
On the other hand, the study also does not say that it is eliminated completely. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends that for adults, low levels of alcohol consumption are fine. Women should limit their consumption to one drink (or less) a day, and men can have up to two. Drinking in moderation is even a daily practice for some of the healthiest people in the world—Like residents of the Blue Zones whose diets closely resemble Mediterranean diet, which encourages drink red wine in moderation.
While more research is needed to understand the correlation between exercise and alcohol consumption, studies so far show that a moderate amount of alcohol consumption for fit people without dependency can fit into an overall balanced diet.
For more tips on drinking, read the following:
