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- The Florida State University Study suggests that regular aerobic exercise can help counter some of the long term health risks associated with heavy drinking.
- Mice which exercised every day while consuming alcohol had a longer lifespan than mice who did not consume alcohol. Sedentary heavy drinking mice on the other hand, lived shorter.
- Young adults who consume alcohol excessively should engage in aerobic activity to protect their vital organs, and possibly extend life expectancy.
According to new research from Florida State University, regular exercise can help reduce some of the risks that heavy drinking poses for young adults.
These findings were presented at this year’s American Physiological Society annual conference, held in Baltimore. They suggest that physical exercise could have a protective impact, even on the effects of alcohol abuse during childhood.
Researchers found in a March study in Karger (a Swiss medical and scientific journal) that mice that drank large quantities of alcohol, but also exercised regularly, lived the same amount of time as mice that did not drink.
The lifespan of sedentary mouse who consumed alcohol was significantly reduced. These findings indicate that regular physical activity can protect you from alcohol-related decline in health.
Researchers divided 37 mice in four groups and assigned them for six weeks to four different conditions: alcohol alone, only exercise, no alcohol at all, and both.
After this simulation of early adulthood period, mice were returned to normal care, and monitored for the rest of their lives.
"These findings show that even short periods of heavy drinking, such as during college or early adulthood, can impact health later in life," Avery Tangen, a co-author of the study, told the American Physiological Society. "They also suggest that aerobic exercise may help protect against some of alcohol’s harmful effects that can shorten lifespan."
The study contributes to the growing body of research linking alcohol to damage over time.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, heavy drinking over a long period of time can damage vital organs like the heart, liver and brain, weaken your immune system, and raise the chances of developing cancer or other serious diseases.
Leading health groups and longevity experts are now recommending more and more that you reduce or eliminate alcohol as an important factor to promote healthy aging and increase your life expectancy.
Most apps that claim they can slow or reverse your biological age ask you if and how much alcohol you consume.
The damaging effects of alcohol on the organs are well-known. However, there are strategies which can help to prevent harm.
Tangen added that the study encourages young adults who want to drink to pair this with a program of aerobic exercise to minimize any negative health effects.
Aerobic exercise has a positive impact on all organs in the body. This includes those that are negatively affected by alcohol such as the liver, brain and skeletal muscles.
Edited By Sebastian Sinclair
