'Would you like wine with your workout?'

Though it would seem to defy logic (and sanity!), a recent study by the American Journal of Health Promotion, shows that those who drink, exercise more each week than their tee total counterparts. The lead author of the study, Michael French, also claimed "Alcohol users not only exercised more than abstainers, but the differential actually increased with more drinking".

The survey, conducted on about 230,000 Americans, showed that those who drank were 10% more likely to engage in vigorous physical activity. This averaged at working out for 7.2 minutes more per week, than those who don't drink. Moderate drinking has always been touted for its potential health benefits, so is it possible to say that another benefit is the incentive to exercise?

I wouldn't celebrate too soon. As French pointed out, the amount of exercise increased with the amount of alcohol consumed, perhaps in an effort to counteract the weight gain associated with many calorific beverages. In addition, however, heavy drinking is associated with serious illness, such as heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver, of which no amount of exercise can negate.

That said, the assumption is people exercise to counteract the negative effects of alcohol on their body.

Anybody think it might be that the opposite is true - exercise drives people to drink?!

'Regular drinkers get more exercise' - Reuters