Can exercise offset the risks of drinking alcohol?

February 27, 2026

Over the past year, public health messaging about alcohol has shifted sharply. For decades, many people clung to the idea that a nightly glass of red wine might protect the heart. Now, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Surgeon General have taken firm stances: no amount of alcohol is risk-free.

Yet alcohol remains deeply embedded in how we celebrate, socialize, and relax. Despite the risks, many people still feel it’s worth drinking at least occasionally. “The recent guidelines clearly say that if you avoid alcohol like 100 percent, that is the best for you,” says Javaid Nauman, a professor at the Institute of Public Health at the United Arab Emirates University. “But we know at human levels, I don’t think that it will ever happen.” That reality has prompted a new question among researchers: Can exercise buffer some of alcohol’s long-term risks?

Emerging evidence suggests a cautious yes. Exercise appears to offer some protection, but it doesn’t erase the risks. Here’s what you need to know. National Geographic