Can exercise help with a hangover?

Electrolyte drinks, ibuprofen, a bagel full of bacon, eggs, and cheese—everyone has their own way of nursing a hangover. There are also many products that claim to make the experience less unpleasant, but there is little evidence to back them up.

But what about exercise? Some people swear that working out can help cure or lessen a hangover. If so, what type of exercise might be most helpful?

“There are very few situations in which exercise has no benefit,” said Dr. Andy Peterson, team doctor at the University of Iowa. It is “the closest thing in medicine to a miracle cure.”

That includes hangovers — with some restrictions — he said. Here’s what experts advise if you’re thinking about sweating on a rough morning.

How does a hangover affect your body?

After a night of drinking, several things happen to the body at once, said Dr. Shaan Khurshid, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. You may be dehydrated and may experience difficulty sleeping, digestive problems, or an increase in anxiety.

While hangover symptoms and their severity can vary greatly from person to person – and even in the same person at different times – no one will reach their physical peak after drinking a significant amount of alcohol, Dr. Khurshid.