“Oh! You can afford to drink because you workout, you are fit, and a little bit of alcohol won’t affect you.” Either you have heard, or earnestly presented, this argument while enjoying a pint or a glass of something alcoholic. Personally, I prefer a pint (or two) after finishing a race and cocktails after my last strength and conditioning session of the week. But I know well that I cannot afford to drink despite working out, playing sports and doing endurance activities. Doctors, a lot of peer reviewed scientific studies, and fitness experts confirm that an active lifestyle and being fit are no antidote to the risks of alcohol.
“Many fitness-conscious individuals believe regular workouts can offset alcohol intake. Unfortunately, exercise does not completely neutralise alcohol’s harmful effects. Even socially acceptable moderate drinking over weekends can impair fitness progress and increase visceral fat despite regular gym activity,” says Dr. Sushrut Singh, additional director for gastroenterology, Fortis Hospital, Noida.
Alcohol cancels exercise benefits
In fact, alcohol actually undoes quite a few benefits of exercise. Alcohol hampers muscle repair, leaves you dehydrated, worsens sleep, slows your metabolism, and strains your liver, says Dr Subhash Agal, head of gastroenterology, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. “Alcohol consumption can potentially drag down your performance and leave your body taking much longer to bounce back after a workout. So, even if you are someone who trains consistently, drinking heavily or too often can still catch up with you over time. Staying active helps… no doubt about that, but it does not cancel out the risks that come with regular drinking,” says Agal.
There was a time when many, including doctors and health professionals, believed a glass of wine is good for the heart and a shot of brandy with hot water and honey is an effective remedy for cough and cold. However, thanks to a host of extensive research conducted in the last 10 years we now know that alcohol has no medicinal qualities whatsoever. “For a long time, people believed that a glass of red wine here and there was doing their heart some good, mostly because red wine contains antioxidants like resveratrol,” notes Agal. That “evidence” came from observational studies conducted several decades ago. “Larger, more recent studies show the risks from alcohol usually outweigh any small benefit. Most doctors today don’t advise drinking for health reasons. You can get the same antioxidants from fruits, nuts, and vegetables without the harms that come with alcohol,” adds Agal.
The World Health Organization (WHO) explicitly states that no amount of alcohol is safe for human consumption. An US government study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs in June this year found that the risk of premature death from an illness or injury directly attributable to alcohol was high among those who consumed two drinks a day and the harmful effects of alcohol started from the very first drink.
India’s looming hangover
While Gen Z across the world has cut down drinking, things are moving in the opposite direction in India. Both Singh and Agal say alcohol consumption in India is rising steadily especially among young adults and working professionals in urban areas with hospitals and public health services feeling the pressure as more people come in with chronic alcohol-related illnesses and make emergency visits. “India’s healthcare system is already burdened with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and increasing alcohol-related illnesses will significantly strain our emergency services, ICUs, liver transplant programmes, and mental health and rehabilitation services in the coming years,” says Singh.
Moreover, alcohol contributes not only to liver disease, but also hypertension, cancers, obesity, diabetes, pancreatitis, mental health disorders and road accidents. Anyone who has had a big night before going to work knows well that alcohol also reduces workplace productivity. Agal is clear that drinking too much doesn’t just cause hangovers; it raises the risk to life and mental-health issues. “The ripple effects go well beyond healthcare and families carry the weight of it. That is exactly why awareness matters so much right now,” he adds. Based on the latest evidence and medical understanding, even moderate amounts can add up over time, nudging your odds a bit higher for liver issues, certain cancers, and heart problems.
Keeping it light is the answer
Yet, millions of people use alcohol as a way to de-stress and social lubricant to meet new people. Many fitness enthusiasts readily confess to giving up on their six-pack dreams because they refuse to give up their weekend libations. While medically speaking there is nothing good associated with alcohol, socially speaking alcohol is associated with celebrations, enjoyment, indulgence and good times. However, that is not a free pass to drink regularly or even binge drink as both are bad for health and increase your mortality risk.
While it’s best to not drink at all, but if you do drink, keeping it light and occasional is the way to go, says Alan. “Skip the binge drinking sessions and avoid making it a daily habit,” he adds.
Singh warns that risks increase with quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption and even small amounts carry some degree of long-term health risk. “That said, occasional minimal consumption is certainly less harmful than chronic heavy drinking or binge patterns,” he adds. And as for those who put time and effort into staying fit, they should do well to remember that alcohol chips away at your endurance, dulls your strength and coordination, and makes bouncing back after a tough session much harder. “Beyond the physical side, it quietly drains your drive and slowly pulls you away from the routines you have built up over time,” says Alag.
All in all, public awareness must shift from viewing alcohol purely as a social lifestyle choice to understanding it as a significant long-term health risk factor. Till you do that, raise a barbell before raising a toast.