Wow, what an eye opening article. I feel this has been a question pending for a long time now. Being a senior in college I definitely do have a glass of wine here and there but I have been trying to cut it out completely to hit my fitness goals. I get married in july and I have been on this health kick to try and look my best. But changing my mindset to obtaining better fitness habits rather than drinking habits helps. The study showed that yes alcohol will never be good for a human but over the years losing one's fitness will be more of a mortality risk then drinking. Drinking isn't the only factor playing into mortality rates.
This article really puts into perspective how harmful alcohol can be if you are an unhealthy individual. When looking at many cultures around the world, the consumption of alcohol is a very common practice. In these cultures, alcohol is not viewed as a negative thing when done in moderation. When looking at these cultures, I realize that people can still drink alcohol and not face health concerns when they maintain an active lifestyle and practice moderation. I believe that people who maintain a healthy lifestyle can have a few drinks here and there and not have significant health issues. People should put an emphasis on staying fit and healthy and that should be their priority.
One thing that really stood out to me was how expensive it is to lose fitness over time. The hazard ratios honestly scared me more than the alcohol part. It kind of killed the idea that you can just “lock in” fitness once and then coast forever, which I wish were true. As someone who definitely enjoys being active but also enjoys being lazy when given the chance, this was a good reminder that consistency matters way more than short bursts of motivation. Fitness feels less like something you earn once and more like something you have to keep paying rent on.
I think alcohol is a big thing around the world despite it having plenty of negative health-risks. It was really surprising to see the results from those who were unfit compared to those that were fit. It really goes to show how much of a difference being physically active and fit can make a huge difference in your health now and in the future. I also like how the data shows that you can still enjoy alcohol as long and you're within recommendations and staying active, so others can still enjoy without feeling guilty about it.
I was shocked when seeing that there was a higher mortality risk for losing physical activity rather than drinking a lot. I also found it nice seeing that this article wasn't saying to cut out alcohol but instead it was telling us facts about physical activity and how alcohol plays a role in that. One can still live their life and drinking accasanly and won't hinder their health as long as they are physically active.
I found it interesting that the "big debate" around alcohol comes from observational studies, which had inconsistent conclusions. The HUNT study gave insight on the long-term impacts from alcohol and fitness on mortality rather than a shorter period of time. From the study, I was surprised at how much higher the mortality risk was for those who were unfit compared to the fit participants, no matter the alcohol consumption. This works with my previous assumption that fitness plays a huge role in long-term health over alcohol, assuming neither reaches a level of addiction. My assumption came from growing up in a Baptist church that discourage alcohol entirely, yet the abstinence alone did not prove them to be healthy. I like that this article displays the priority fitness should take over solely focusing on alcohol consumption.
This article explored whether staying fit can offset some of the long-term health risks of alcohol, suggesting that fitness may matter more than moderate drinking patterns. While I understand the data, I don’t really agree with the idea that alcohol can ever be considered “harmless,” even in fit individuals. From my perspective as a strength and conditioning coach, alcohol has no real place in performance because it interferes with recovery, sleep, and readiness to train. Training is central to who I am and how I show up for Jacksonville University athletes, so lifestyle choices matter to me beyond just the numbers in a study. Personally, I choose not to drink at all, and that’s the example I want to set for my family and the athletes I work with.
I agree with you about alcohol not having a place in performance. Alcohol can completely throw off someone's focus and lead them to underperforming. I think this can be said about other careers as well. I'm also not a drinker, but I can see how having a drink to wind down isn't that bad of an idea.
I really enjoyed reading this article. Alcohol can have negative effects on the body, but being in poor physical condition can be even more harmful without regular exercise, leading to heart disease, diabetes, and more. While alcohol carries health risks, it is not as harmful as a sedentary lifestyle. The long-term effects of sedentary behavior pose a greater risk over time. This emphasizes that although being "fit" does not mean alcohol consumption is beneficial, it helps clarify where health priorities should lie. I firmly believe moderation is important when it comes to alcohol consumption.
I agree with you regarding the negative effects of alcohol; also, I do believe moderation is a safe contribution to the consumption of alcohol. For the past 7 years, I have personally eliminated any amount of alcohol consumption. I have been feeling better at my age (I'm old) amongst my peers who consume alcohol. I can also recover from workouts, just as I did in my late 20s and early 30s, and better than my peers.
This article was interesting and extremely informational, playing devils advocate for both sides. Coming from a stand point where I always assumed that any kind of drinking no matter what was going to be harmful for you. They ended up mentioning VO2 Max at the end, but what would also be an interesting study to see are brain maps and images through out the drinking and exercising. Knowing that exercising is not only good for the body but also the brain, and knowing alcohol is an inhibitor for the brain, as well as the fact that a lot of people start drinking at very young ages while their brains are not yet fully developed. Seeing this would also be very cool and could perhaps be extremely informational to everyone but mostly college students much like myself and pose the risks of what drinking could do to your brain at such a young age, as we have just read what it does over time, being a heavy drinker or not.
I really like this article and how it gives both sides of the coin, yes drinking is bad for you but also being in rough shape and not taking care of your body through exercise might be even worse. I do think it is also that middle ground with smoking, because sitting and being stagnant is being referred to as the "new smoking," while sitting is still bad for you it isn't as bad as smoking. Right now the opposite is occurring because drinking is bad for you but not being "fit" is almost worse. I found this really eye opening and while being this definition of "fit" doesn't make the consumption of alcohol good for you it puts into perspective what your priorities should be.
I like how you connected this with "Sitting is the new smoking", its another very interesting concept to think about and I do believe as well that these two correlate with each other and almost mirroring the same effects.
The "Physiology Friday" article was pretty interesting because it looked at whether being fit can actually "protect" you from the bad effects of alcohol. One of the biggest things I took away from it was that staying fit is actually a much bigger deal for your health than whether or not you have a few drinks. The study showed that for people who stayed in the "fit" category (the top 80%), drinking alcohol, even above the recommended limits, didn't really increase their mortality risk compared to people who don't drink at all.
Basically, the real risk comes from your fitness changes. The study found that if you fall into the "unfit" category (the bottom 20%), your risk of dying goes up a ton, whether you drink or not. It even showed that people who were fit but then became unfit had a much higher risk. It's kind of crazy to see that staying active and keeping your fitness level high is more important than worrying about a drink or two. As a baseball player who lifts and stays active, it makes me realize that as long as I keep my training consistent and don't let my fitness slide, the occasional drink probably isn't the killer everyone makes it out to be.
This is very valuable information to know! A lot of people consume things without knowing the effects that it had on the body. Especially alcohol, because everyone drinks it without knowing the consequences.
This article is very insightful! In the health space, alcohol really has been made out to be a boogeyman - and for some, it surely is. I do find it important that we realize how little true research we have been able to do on alcohol consumption - I didn't understand that until reading this article. For something that is so prevalent, it's definitely a concept that should be considered with all the facts one can obtain. I also find it very interesting how general fitness is more of a health indicator than alcohol consumption, in the sense that one can abstain from alcohol but be unfit, and how that is worse for your health than those who may drink a little but are fit. You could abstain from alcohol all you want, but if you don't prioritize fitness, you're not doing your body as much good as you think! Great, challenging thoughts on this post!
I completely agree, there is definitely not enough research on alcohol and its effects on the body. I also agree that if you dont prioritze fitness, your body's health isn't as good as you would think, no matter the number on the scale.
This read really puts a spotlight on the fact that staying healthy always wins. The idea that drinking is an underlying reason for a higher mortality rate can definitely be true, but the main concern here is that being fit and keeping fit should be the ultimate objective. I believe that the argument still remains that moderation is key when it comes to those who drink. I always do my best to stay fit, but after reading this article it really highlights even more why long term fitness should be something we all strive for.
Great thoughts! Being mindful of moderation is a great plan of action for alcohol consumption, but the real work of health is, like you're saying, long-term fitness. It's a different focus that makes a massive impact!
This post emphasizes how often we oversimplify the alcohol conversation by treating it as an isolated behavior. Fitness level is a stronger predictor of long-term mortality than alcohol habits, at least within the studied ranges. This doesn’t mean alcohol is “safe,” but it reframes the question: instead of asking if exercise can cancel out drinking, we should ask if we maintain enough fitness to avoid slipping into the lowest-fitness bracket. Observational data can be misleading, especially when people reduce drinking due to health issues. Interpreting lifestyle research requires understanding the context of behavior changes. This study reinforces the importance of long-term consistency in fitness as a powerful health lever, likely more important than occasional social drinking for otherwise healthy people.
I agree! The emphasis on avoiding long-term declines in fitness, rather than trying to "offset" drinking, feels like a much more practical and realistic takeaway. Also, it shows how research can be misinterpreted when underlying health issues drive changes in behavior. This shows how important context is when evaluating lifestyle studies.
This article does a great job of pushing back against the idea that alcohol determines long-term health outcomes. What stood out to me is that remaining fit seemed to lessen much of the risk associated with drinking, while becoming or staying unfit increased the mortality, even in abstainers. This challenges the public health messages that isolate single behaviors instead of looking at the lifestyle patterns. The author is careful not to claim that fitness "cancels out" alcohol. Being a college student, I need to stay focused on my health and take care of my body.
you make a great point about how the article shifts the focus from alcohol alone to overall lifestyle patterns, I also found it striking that low fitness increased mortality risk even for people who didn't drink at all it really shows how essential long term fitness is, As college students, that reminder feels especially important since its easy too overlook hoe much our daily habits now shape out future health
These were some interesting findings. I wonder if this research moderated for any other possible explanations for someone going from fit to unfit, vice versa, as well as how someone who doesn't drink at all, would find themselves drinking within recommendation. This study found that no matter the outcome, consistent physical activity is necessary to possibly avoid higher mortality rates, and what stood out to me the most was that someone who remained unfit and drinking, when transitioning to abstain from drinking, still had a 111% increase of mortality.
I was thinking the same thing about what might explain someone going from fit to unfit, because that feels like a pretty big umbrella category. Injury, illness, burnout, or just life getting busy could all play a role, and those things probably carry their own risks too. It almost makes fitness feel like the “non-negotiable,” while alcohol is more of a secondary factor. Basically, quitting drinking alone isn’t the magic fix if fitness is still on the floor, which is not the most comforting news for anyone hoping for an easy loophole.
Wow, what an eye opening article. I feel this has been a question pending for a long time now. Being a senior in college I definitely do have a glass of wine here and there but I have been trying to cut it out completely to hit my fitness goals. I get married in july and I have been on this health kick to try and look my best. But changing my mindset to obtaining better fitness habits rather than drinking habits helps. The study showed that yes alcohol will never be good for a human but over the years losing one's fitness will be more of a mortality risk then drinking. Drinking isn't the only factor playing into mortality rates.
This article really puts into perspective how harmful alcohol can be if you are an unhealthy individual. When looking at many cultures around the world, the consumption of alcohol is a very common practice. In these cultures, alcohol is not viewed as a negative thing when done in moderation. When looking at these cultures, I realize that people can still drink alcohol and not face health concerns when they maintain an active lifestyle and practice moderation. I believe that people who maintain a healthy lifestyle can have a few drinks here and there and not have significant health issues. People should put an emphasis on staying fit and healthy and that should be their priority.
One thing that really stood out to me was how expensive it is to lose fitness over time. The hazard ratios honestly scared me more than the alcohol part. It kind of killed the idea that you can just “lock in” fitness once and then coast forever, which I wish were true. As someone who definitely enjoys being active but also enjoys being lazy when given the chance, this was a good reminder that consistency matters way more than short bursts of motivation. Fitness feels less like something you earn once and more like something you have to keep paying rent on.
I think alcohol is a big thing around the world despite it having plenty of negative health-risks. It was really surprising to see the results from those who were unfit compared to those that were fit. It really goes to show how much of a difference being physically active and fit can make a huge difference in your health now and in the future. I also like how the data shows that you can still enjoy alcohol as long and you're within recommendations and staying active, so others can still enjoy without feeling guilty about it.
I was shocked when seeing that there was a higher mortality risk for losing physical activity rather than drinking a lot. I also found it nice seeing that this article wasn't saying to cut out alcohol but instead it was telling us facts about physical activity and how alcohol plays a role in that. One can still live their life and drinking accasanly and won't hinder their health as long as they are physically active.
I found it interesting that the "big debate" around alcohol comes from observational studies, which had inconsistent conclusions. The HUNT study gave insight on the long-term impacts from alcohol and fitness on mortality rather than a shorter period of time. From the study, I was surprised at how much higher the mortality risk was for those who were unfit compared to the fit participants, no matter the alcohol consumption. This works with my previous assumption that fitness plays a huge role in long-term health over alcohol, assuming neither reaches a level of addiction. My assumption came from growing up in a Baptist church that discourage alcohol entirely, yet the abstinence alone did not prove them to be healthy. I like that this article displays the priority fitness should take over solely focusing on alcohol consumption.
This article explored whether staying fit can offset some of the long-term health risks of alcohol, suggesting that fitness may matter more than moderate drinking patterns. While I understand the data, I don’t really agree with the idea that alcohol can ever be considered “harmless,” even in fit individuals. From my perspective as a strength and conditioning coach, alcohol has no real place in performance because it interferes with recovery, sleep, and readiness to train. Training is central to who I am and how I show up for Jacksonville University athletes, so lifestyle choices matter to me beyond just the numbers in a study. Personally, I choose not to drink at all, and that’s the example I want to set for my family and the athletes I work with.
I agree with you about alcohol not having a place in performance. Alcohol can completely throw off someone's focus and lead them to underperforming. I think this can be said about other careers as well. I'm also not a drinker, but I can see how having a drink to wind down isn't that bad of an idea.
I really enjoyed reading this article. Alcohol can have negative effects on the body, but being in poor physical condition can be even more harmful without regular exercise, leading to heart disease, diabetes, and more. While alcohol carries health risks, it is not as harmful as a sedentary lifestyle. The long-term effects of sedentary behavior pose a greater risk over time. This emphasizes that although being "fit" does not mean alcohol consumption is beneficial, it helps clarify where health priorities should lie. I firmly believe moderation is important when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Hi Carlee!
I agree with you regarding the negative effects of alcohol; also, I do believe moderation is a safe contribution to the consumption of alcohol. For the past 7 years, I have personally eliminated any amount of alcohol consumption. I have been feeling better at my age (I'm old) amongst my peers who consume alcohol. I can also recover from workouts, just as I did in my late 20s and early 30s, and better than my peers.
This article was interesting and extremely informational, playing devils advocate for both sides. Coming from a stand point where I always assumed that any kind of drinking no matter what was going to be harmful for you. They ended up mentioning VO2 Max at the end, but what would also be an interesting study to see are brain maps and images through out the drinking and exercising. Knowing that exercising is not only good for the body but also the brain, and knowing alcohol is an inhibitor for the brain, as well as the fact that a lot of people start drinking at very young ages while their brains are not yet fully developed. Seeing this would also be very cool and could perhaps be extremely informational to everyone but mostly college students much like myself and pose the risks of what drinking could do to your brain at such a young age, as we have just read what it does over time, being a heavy drinker or not.
I really like this article and how it gives both sides of the coin, yes drinking is bad for you but also being in rough shape and not taking care of your body through exercise might be even worse. I do think it is also that middle ground with smoking, because sitting and being stagnant is being referred to as the "new smoking," while sitting is still bad for you it isn't as bad as smoking. Right now the opposite is occurring because drinking is bad for you but not being "fit" is almost worse. I found this really eye opening and while being this definition of "fit" doesn't make the consumption of alcohol good for you it puts into perspective what your priorities should be.
I like how you connected this with "Sitting is the new smoking", its another very interesting concept to think about and I do believe as well that these two correlate with each other and almost mirroring the same effects.
The "Physiology Friday" article was pretty interesting because it looked at whether being fit can actually "protect" you from the bad effects of alcohol. One of the biggest things I took away from it was that staying fit is actually a much bigger deal for your health than whether or not you have a few drinks. The study showed that for people who stayed in the "fit" category (the top 80%), drinking alcohol, even above the recommended limits, didn't really increase their mortality risk compared to people who don't drink at all.
Basically, the real risk comes from your fitness changes. The study found that if you fall into the "unfit" category (the bottom 20%), your risk of dying goes up a ton, whether you drink or not. It even showed that people who were fit but then became unfit had a much higher risk. It's kind of crazy to see that staying active and keeping your fitness level high is more important than worrying about a drink or two. As a baseball player who lifts and stays active, it makes me realize that as long as I keep my training consistent and don't let my fitness slide, the occasional drink probably isn't the killer everyone makes it out to be.
This is very valuable information to know! A lot of people consume things without knowing the effects that it had on the body. Especially alcohol, because everyone drinks it without knowing the consequences.
This article is very insightful! In the health space, alcohol really has been made out to be a boogeyman - and for some, it surely is. I do find it important that we realize how little true research we have been able to do on alcohol consumption - I didn't understand that until reading this article. For something that is so prevalent, it's definitely a concept that should be considered with all the facts one can obtain. I also find it very interesting how general fitness is more of a health indicator than alcohol consumption, in the sense that one can abstain from alcohol but be unfit, and how that is worse for your health than those who may drink a little but are fit. You could abstain from alcohol all you want, but if you don't prioritize fitness, you're not doing your body as much good as you think! Great, challenging thoughts on this post!
I completely agree, there is definitely not enough research on alcohol and its effects on the body. I also agree that if you dont prioritze fitness, your body's health isn't as good as you would think, no matter the number on the scale.
This read really puts a spotlight on the fact that staying healthy always wins. The idea that drinking is an underlying reason for a higher mortality rate can definitely be true, but the main concern here is that being fit and keeping fit should be the ultimate objective. I believe that the argument still remains that moderation is key when it comes to those who drink. I always do my best to stay fit, but after reading this article it really highlights even more why long term fitness should be something we all strive for.
Great thoughts! Being mindful of moderation is a great plan of action for alcohol consumption, but the real work of health is, like you're saying, long-term fitness. It's a different focus that makes a massive impact!
This post emphasizes how often we oversimplify the alcohol conversation by treating it as an isolated behavior. Fitness level is a stronger predictor of long-term mortality than alcohol habits, at least within the studied ranges. This doesn’t mean alcohol is “safe,” but it reframes the question: instead of asking if exercise can cancel out drinking, we should ask if we maintain enough fitness to avoid slipping into the lowest-fitness bracket. Observational data can be misleading, especially when people reduce drinking due to health issues. Interpreting lifestyle research requires understanding the context of behavior changes. This study reinforces the importance of long-term consistency in fitness as a powerful health lever, likely more important than occasional social drinking for otherwise healthy people.
I agree! The emphasis on avoiding long-term declines in fitness, rather than trying to "offset" drinking, feels like a much more practical and realistic takeaway. Also, it shows how research can be misinterpreted when underlying health issues drive changes in behavior. This shows how important context is when evaluating lifestyle studies.
This article does a great job of pushing back against the idea that alcohol determines long-term health outcomes. What stood out to me is that remaining fit seemed to lessen much of the risk associated with drinking, while becoming or staying unfit increased the mortality, even in abstainers. This challenges the public health messages that isolate single behaviors instead of looking at the lifestyle patterns. The author is careful not to claim that fitness "cancels out" alcohol. Being a college student, I need to stay focused on my health and take care of my body.
you make a great point about how the article shifts the focus from alcohol alone to overall lifestyle patterns, I also found it striking that low fitness increased mortality risk even for people who didn't drink at all it really shows how essential long term fitness is, As college students, that reminder feels especially important since its easy too overlook hoe much our daily habits now shape out future health
These were some interesting findings. I wonder if this research moderated for any other possible explanations for someone going from fit to unfit, vice versa, as well as how someone who doesn't drink at all, would find themselves drinking within recommendation. This study found that no matter the outcome, consistent physical activity is necessary to possibly avoid higher mortality rates, and what stood out to me the most was that someone who remained unfit and drinking, when transitioning to abstain from drinking, still had a 111% increase of mortality.
I was thinking the same thing about what might explain someone going from fit to unfit, because that feels like a pretty big umbrella category. Injury, illness, burnout, or just life getting busy could all play a role, and those things probably carry their own risks too. It almost makes fitness feel like the “non-negotiable,” while alcohol is more of a secondary factor. Basically, quitting drinking alone isn’t the magic fix if fitness is still on the floor, which is not the most comforting news for anyone hoping for an easy loophole.