If You Drink….

Exercise May Cut Health Risks Linked to Alcohol Consumption

Exercise may offset the increased risk for death associated with consuming large amounts of alcohol, new data suggest.

In an analysis of data from eight British population-based surveys, the association between alcohol intake and all-cause mortality risk was attenuated among individuals who met or exceeded minimum weekly physical activity recommendations, Kadija Perreault, PhD, from the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, and colleagues report in an article published online August 31 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Specifically, the excess risk for cancer mortality tied to alcohol intake was nearly nullified among regular exercisers.

The current study is one of the first to examine whether an association exists between the health benefits of physical activity and the increased mortality risk associated with alcohol consumption.

Occasional drinking appeared to confer a protective effect against all-cause and cardiovascular disease–related mortality among adults who met recommended activity levels, according to the authors.

“Our results provide an additional argument for the role of [physical activity] as a means to promote the health of the population even in the presence of other less healthy behaviours,” the authors conclude.