It is generally believed that physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, even if this is caused by the consumption of sugary drinks. However, this is only the case to a limited extent. Just two sugary drinks a week are enough to significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, even if we are physically active.
A new study involving experts from Harvard Medical School examined the independent and joint associations between consumption of sugary drinks or artificially sweetened beverages, physical activity and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results are published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”.
Risk of cardiovascular diseases
Sugary drinks are known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of premature death worldwide.
“The marketing strategies for these drinks often show that active people drink these drinks. “It could be concluded that consuming sugary drinks has no negative effects on your health if you are physically active,” reports study author Professor Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier in a press release.
To check this, the experts evaluated the data from two cohorts that had medically monitored around 100,000 adult participants over a period of around 30 years.
Risk increases despite movement
It was found that participants who consumed sugary drinks more than twice a week had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, although physical activity level did not play a role.
The study also shows that drinking artificially sweetened beverages was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This suggests that it may be beneficial to consume artificially sweetened drinks instead of sugary drinks. However, the best option remains water, according to the research team.
According to experts, a recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity protects against cardiovascular disease, but it is not enough to completely offset the negative effects of sugary drinks.
“Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with sugary drinks by half, but does not completely eliminate it,” says Proffesor Drouin-Chartier.
Even small amounts of consumption are detrimental
The new study took into account the frequency of consumption of sugary drinks starting twice a week. Even if this consumption is relatively low, according to the researchers there is still a significant connection with the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
If the weekly consumption of sugary drinks is higher, for example daily, the risk of cardiovascular disease is much higher.
Sugary drinks were defined in the study as soft drinks and carbonated drinks (with or without caffeine), sodas and fruit cocktails. Energy drinks, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, were not taken into account, even though they usually also contain high amounts of sugar.
Avoid sugary drinks
Overall, the results show that consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks should be reduced to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also makes sense to maintain an appropriate level of physical activity, even if this cannot completely offset the negative effects of sugary drinks. (as)
