Exercise Prompts Increased Alcohol Consumption

A new study finds that an individual’s alcohol consumption tends to increase on the days that he or she exercises.

A team led by researchers from Northwestern University analyzed the physical activity and alcohol consumption of 150 participants between the ages of 18 and 89 throughout 3 separate periods of 21 days. During these timeframes, the authors asked participants to input their levels of physical activity and alcohol consumption into their smartphones at the end of each day.
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As participants only had to recall 1 day of activity or consumption at a time, they were less susceptible to experiencing memory problems or other issues that may have been a factor if the investigators had asked them to record their exercise and alcohol-consumption behaviors for a 30-day span, according to David E. Conroy, PhD, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and lead author of the study.

Using this self-reporting method, the authors found that participants were more apt to consume greater amounts of alcohol on the days they engaged in high levels of physical activity, which most commonly occurred from Thursday through Sunday.

“The take-home message for primary care physicians is that their patients’ usual physical activity is unlikely to associated with their alcohol consumption, so regular physical activity should be promoted,” says Conroy, who notes that past research claims those who engage in high levels of physical activity are more likely to consume more alcohol.

While maintaining that the authors were unable to determine what causes individuals to drink more on days they strenuously exercise, Conroy adds that “patients may benefit from monitoring their alcohol consumption on days when they are more active than usual.”

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Conroy D, Ram N, et al. Daily Physical Activity and Alcohol Use Across the Adult Lifespan. Health Psychology. 2014.