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Scared about gaining the Freshmen 15? Cautious about going out for post work drinks with coworkers? Nervous about your boyfriends drinking habits? Worried that every drink brings your fitness levels down and your waistline up?

We’ve done the dirty work and are here to help! We’ve researched the truth behind drinking and weight gains and in true Myth Buster fashion attempted to crack the age old concern of Beer Bellies.

A recent study conducted by leading nutritionists and scientists in Sweden and Germany published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition studies this very question: Does beer in fact cause one to develop a beer belly?

Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)–Potsdam study (7876
men, 12 749 women), cross-sectional associations were investigated applying general linear models. Prospective analyses of
baseline beer consumption and an 8.5-year WC (Waist Circumference) change were assessed using multivariate general linear models and polytomous
logistic regression.

In layman’s terms: they studied a bunch of drunk Europeans to see if their excessive drinking gave them a rotund babymaker.

Conclusion? Men who drank 1 liter a day (~3 beers) were 17% more likely than non-drinkers to have an increased stomach although actually found much less significant trends for women, showing little correlation to “Beer Bellyism” and a few habitual beers.

Confused? Let us explain further…

Increased Beer Drinking = Increased Weight

But! That is only natural because you are increasing total calorie count. If you follow the AA way, burn it off before you drink it on, then your total calories will remain unchanged for the day. The only way to gain weight is to ingest more calories than you burn off that day. To figure out the approximate calories you burn each day at rest (Basal Metabolic Rate – BMR): use the following formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in year )

For me: BMR = 66 + (6.23*180) + (12.7*73) – (6.8*23) = 1958

That means I can eat and drink 1958 calories without working out any day and maintain my same weight – if I decide to workout everyday (which I do and suggest you do too) then I can increase my calories to 3000+ for the day, depending on the amount of cardiovascular work I do that day.

So, increasing beer consumption with all else constant does increase body weight, but this weight is not concentrated in just the belly area, beer calories are like all other calories and get stored as fat throughout your entire body.

If you are worried about your eating or drinking habits DO NOT BE AFRAID!

When I’m feeling a little under the weather or am less excited than normal to see myself in my birthday suit, I check my eating habits and total calorie counts using My Fitness Pal – a free and easy online tool that helps you track your daily calorie counts adding meals and subtracting workouts from your daily totals (did not mean to toss in a sales pitch).

Another FANTASTIC idea is to keep in touch with us here at Athletic Ale. Every writer on our staff loves going out and drinking the kitchen sink, but we also keep ourselves in check and manage our fitness level by completing daily workouts and attempting to eat somewhat healthy. Stay informed and keep up to date with our Workouts and Recipes and make sure to follow us on Twitter @AthleticAle