Just Drink Alcohol Instead of Exercising…

If the headline of this article upset you a little bit, then you're not alone. You may think I'm just making this stuff up, so before I go on I'm going to give you a link to an article that was in Time Magazine by Dr. Sanjay Gupta from CNN. Believe it or not this was written by a real medical doctor and quotes other medical doctors.

The article is here.

So research suggests that exercise and alcohol actually benefits your body in the same ways? Woaah! What's going on here? Is this a joke? Are these people really medical doctors?

Does the consumption of alcohol help boost your insulin resistance or reduce your risk for getting diabetes later in life? Does it build and rejuvenate muscle tissue? Does it reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome? Does it help you lose weight so you aren't stressing your back and joints carrying around all the extra weight?

I assume he's being specific to heart benefits, but exercise benefits a lot more than your heart. And to suggest there could be a substitution eliminates all those other benefits.

Let's look at this for a moment. First of all, alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories. It's often advisable not to drink calories unless you are trying to gain weight, or are very athletic and trying to maintain weight. Alcohol itself has 7 calories per gram, compared to 4 per gram in protein and carbohydrates. That's not to mention the carbohydrates in most alcoholic drinks such as beer and liqueurs.

Small quantities of alcohol after a meal may offer some digestive benefits, but does it really effect your metabolism like exercise does? Also note this article seems to suggest any alcohol is good for you. I've heard doctors actually tell patients that it doesn't matter what they drink if it has alcohol in it.

So a shot of cheap whiskey with all its impurities is just as good as a glass of red wine? What about the impacts of the mixers such as soda or diet soda? Isn't that like ordering a diet soda with a Bic Mac? Can't we be a little more selective and responsible as health professionals?

There's something fishy here. Did the alcohol industry pay these guys to write this? Seriously. If you ask me I would say this is bordering on irresponsible. But I guess it gets good headlines.

Ok, I know I didn't answer all the questions I raised, and I'm not going to simply because I'm not a medical researcher and don't feel qualified to do so. But think about them. Also note that the study cited was from Denmark where obesity is much less common and people are generally far healthier than in the United States. They also tend to drink healthier drinks in Europe (more wine as opposed to Captain & Coke).

I can believe that a very small amount of alcohol (one to two drinks per day) can have some benefits for the heart, and perhaps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. If this is already part of your life, then by all means continue. But is it really advisable for someone to start drinking because of this? Especially if they don't enjoy it. I've seen people drink alcohol as heart medicine. If it is advisable, don't you think these patients should be guided as to the best thing to drink?

It's like telling a patient to take aspirin. You can take the kind that come inside the peanut M&Ms (don't you wish that existed) or you can take the regular kind with the coating for sensitive stomachs. It doesn't matter... Uh, doesn't it? It does especially if you're allergic to peanuts!

So as for a drink, I would suggest red wine, but only if it's something you enjoy. The article does state that the effects of the two compound each other, so therefore it is not a good idea to advertise the possibility of swapping out moderate alcohol use in the place of exercise. Such a notion is utterly ridiculous and an insult to modern medicine and the entire fitness industry.

My advice... keep exercising until your doctor tells you it's unsafe. Ask your doctor what he or she thinks about adding alcohol if you don't already drink. If you do drink, keep it very moderate and try to drink something with other benefits, such as the antioxidant effects of red wine.

Let me bring up one other thing. This is all very inconclusive research in another country where nutrition is quite different. Even in the US nutrition and general health has gone through a myriad of changes in the last 20 years.

So if you don't already enjoy having a drink or two each day, then you shouldn't rely on this research. Remember trans fat? Yeah, that was a great experiment in finding an alternative to saturated fat. How many lives and billions of dollars did that little experiment cost us?

Now it's true that alcohol is different. It's a natural substance that's been with us forever and helped to preserve liquids in ancient times. But still, is it something a medical professional should recommend on limited research to someone who is already exercising and doesn't want to drink?

I'll be honest, I enjoy a drink or two on occassion, so I'm not anti-alcohol in any way. I like the stuff. It's great that there may be possible health benefits. But don't skip your exercise routine to have a beer because you think their equivalent, please. Just be sensible and keep everything in moderation.

If you don't think alcohol is the magic fitness bullet, you can try my free exercise program at FitDaily.com. I'd bet my shiny BMW that it works better for achieving your fitness goals than a gin and tonic.