That’s the findings of two studies reported on in the New York Times.

Flickr photo by Nick J Webb

This is expected and no surprise to Beer Runners, of course. But the Times reported that the answer to an American Journal of Health Promotion article asking “Do Alcohol Consumers Exercise More?” was “a resounding if counterintuitive yes.”

“In fact, the data show, the more people drink, the more they exercise,” the studies demonstrated.

Specifically, the findings show that heavy drinkers exercise about 10 minutes more per week than moderate drinkers and 20 more minutes per week than abstainers. Even binge drinking “increases the number of minutes of total and vigorous physical activity per week.”

Researchers are befuddled by these findings, and speculate that exercise and drinking stimulate the reward centers of the brain. Another theory suggets that running provides a “neuroprotection” against binge drinking killing brain cells.

But those are all just guesses. What do you think? What makes you a beer runner?

Thanks to Marty and several others who sent me this article.