Being slim and sporty and still drinking alcohol – does that work? Image: Picture Alliance
Doing sport and drinking a beer afterwards is part of everyday life for many people. Research is now providing initial results on how alcohol affects physical fitness.
An Aperol Spritz in the spring sunshine, a glass of champagne to toast, and after jogging you treat yourself to a cold beer. Alcohol is anchored in our society, and even those who want to live healthier, maybe even lose weight, or do sports to get fitter don’t want to go without every glass. How harmful is alcohol in moderation? And how do wine, beer and cocktails affect physical fitness, muscle building and calorie consumption?
Johanna Kuroczik
Editor in the “Science” department of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
One thing is clear: from a biochemical point of view, alcohol, i.e. ethanol, is a cell poison. And can cause enormous harm to the body. It fuels inflammatory processes, particularly damages the liver and leads to cardiovascular diseases, nerve damage and cancer. The World Health Organization sums up: “There is no safe amount of alcohol that will not harm your health.” The more alcohol you drink, the more serious the consequences.