Workout & soda study: Can it!

Workouts are rendered worthless by soda consumption, scientists warn.

Drinking just two 12ounce cans of pop per week can effectively erase the heart health gains made during exercise, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Pharmacologists at the Université Laval in Quebec City analyzed health data from approximately 100,000 adults over 30 years to find that the damage done by sugar-sweetened beverages can’t be overcome with the average recommended workout quota — about 150 minutes every week, they said.

They’re urging consumers to drop cane and syrup-based sodas altogether.

“Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with sugarsweetened beverages by half, but it does not fully eliminate it,” professor Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier said. “The marketing strategies for these drinks often show active people drinking these beverages. It suggests that sugary drink consumption has no negative effects on health if you’re physically active.”

The Canadian team noted two sodas every seven days could be considered relatively low by many consumers — yet still presented significant health risks.

Said lead study report author Lorena Pacheco, “Our findings provide further support for public health recommendations and policies to limit people’s intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as to encourage people to meet and maintain adequate physical activity levels.”

Researchers conceded that artificially sweetened drinks didn’t have the same negative impact. Nevertheless, Drouin-Chartier concluded, “the best drink option remains water.”