It’s Not Your Fault That You Want A Beer After Your Workout, Blame Science And Pop Open Another Cold One

Do you enjoy a frosty, cold beer after your rigorous workout? Despite the obvious carbohydrates that sort of negate your workout regiment, you still crave a beer. Well it’s not your fault. Blame science. Or at least pretend to blame science instead of your weak willpower so you don’t feel bad. The New York Times reported on two recent studies that found a correlation between exercising and drinking.

Penn State University analyzed 150 men and women ranging from the ages of 18 to 75 and their drinking and exercise routines over a year. The participants utilized a smartphone app that tracked their daily drinking and exercise habits. The research stated that “people drank more than usual on the same days that they engaged in more physical activity than usual.” This trend was true for both genders and all age groups.

Another study by the University of Houston made the same correlation, but in lab rats. J. Leigh Leasure, an associate professor at the University, explains “Feeling a slight buzz after a workout… we may, without overt volition, look to extend and intensify that feeling with a beer, a glass of wine or a cocktail.”

An older study from 2001 backed up the two new findings. It found that people who indulged in around one drink per day were twice as likely to exercise regularly. However, this study was generally dismissed because it did not consider the age and gender of participants.

Science believes that humans do this because the beer is a reward for their hard work in the gym. There is also the factor that those who play sports such as softball, kickball and frisbee football will grab a few brews after the game to celebrate or commiserate, and is a social bonding event.

So drink away after you exercise your ass off and blame science. You deserve it.

[NYT]