There is no disputing the social aspect of group exercise. A workout just seems easier (and way more fun) when others join in to share the experience.

It’s not uncommon for people to follow one of these activities with a drink or two at the local watering hole, as the social aspect continues.

But what effect is that post-ride beer or that glass or two of wine with dinner doing to your health, and does a steady amount of moderate exercise have any bearing on what the alcohol does to your body?

A recent study focused on the role moderate alcohol consumption had on people who performed moderate levels of exercise every week. Specifically, Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis’ study looked at risk levels for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Stamatakis is an associated professor at the University of Sydney (Australia) medical school. His group’s findings recently appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

First they looked at a group of subjects over a nearly 10-year period, and found 5,735 deaths within the group of English and Scottish people over age 40. The study found that the more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of death from cancer, with a recommended maximum of eight standard drinks per week for women, 12 for men.

Further research revealed participants who were moderate exercisers had much different results.

Those with 150 or more minutes per week of moderate exercise (defined in the study as brisk walking, swimming or mowing the lawn, or equivalent) and twice-a-week strength training “wiped out completely” the inflated risk of death as a result of a moderate amount of alcohol consumption.

The findings also showed the activity offset the increased risk of “all-cause mortality” from drinking. In other words, occasional drinking mixed in with regular exercise was a recipe for “reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease among physically active people.”

The study did not focus on heavy drinking and exercise.

In his summary of the study, Michael Hyek, senior director of OhioHealth’s McConnell Heart Health Center, said “The benefits of moderate intensity exercise include stress reduction, the prevention, control and reversal of diabetes, and a positive impact on blood pressure, body weight and depression.”

While the post-exercise beer with friends is probably not that big a deal, there are nutritional needs to be addressed as well.

Dr. Mike Roussell’s article in Shape Magazine pointed out the effects of consumption of a whey protein recovery drink immediately after a moderate or high-intensity workout.

His article said the recovery drink reduced the protein synthesis of the equivalent of three alcoholic beverages by 37 percent, as opposed to just consuming the alcohol after a workout.

Roussell also mentioned that all calories are not created equal, and empty calories (like alcohol) can add fat (weight gain) if over-consumed. However, he summarized that one or two drinks a week would not amount to a measurable detriment to your fitness goals.

So take heart, all you fans of the post-ride beer. As long as you’re not overdoing it, your hard-fought gains from a workout won’t evaporate from a drink here or there. Just remember that moderation is the key, just like the consumption of any non-necessary calories. Oh, and remember your protein!