Heavy drinkers could be putting themselves at risk of muscle loss and frailty in later life, according to new research carried out in Norwich.
A University of East Anglia study has used statistical modelling to show people with the lowest amount of muscle were drinking 10 units or more a day – about a bottle of wine.
Because larger people have more muscle mass, the research team scaled for body size.
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And they took into account factors such as protein consumption and physical activity.
The team say the findings, mainly in people in their 50s and 60s, suggest another reason to cut back on booze.
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Prof Ailsa Welch, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: "Losing muscle as we age leads to problems with weakness and frailty in later life.
"Alcohol intake is a major modifiable risk factor for many diseases, so we wanted to find out more about the relationship between drinking and muscle health as we age."
The team looked at data for nearly 200,000 people aged between 37 and 73 years.
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