We’ve all heard that binge drinking wreaks havoc on your liver. And while we’re not condoning heavy drinking, there is a certain form of exercise that might be able to protect your liver against alcohol-related inflammation and injury if you do ever go overboard. The exercise? Cardio.
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Granted, the research was conducted on rats, the scientists say cardio promotes a healthier mitochondria (the structure that shells out energy for our cells) and a higher-working metabolism, which work together to bolster your liver.
The research team created “runner rats” by breeding rats that had intrinsically high capacities to run for long distances. For six weeks, these rats were exposed to chronic alcohol use to see if their increased metabolism would be able to protect their livers against fatty deposits and inflammation. The researchers found that the alcohol didn’t cause any dangerous inflammation in their livers thanks to the rats’ high metabolisms and mitochondrion. Aerobic exercise seemed to protect against the metabolic dysfunction that snowballs into irreversible liver damage.
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Obviously more research needs to be done on this subject, but the scientists speculate that these results could be similar in humans. According to the researchers, other studies have found that using short bouts of high-intensity interval training and moderate exercise in humans both result in reduced and reversed liver damage—though not related to alcohol.
Curated article from:
Men’s Fitness
