Spurred by a study showing that adolescents who exercise daily are far less likely to smoke cigarettes or experiment with marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is funding research into the role that physical activity can play in prevention, the Associated Press reported June 10.

NIDA recently convened a meeting of 100 exercise and neurobiology experts to discuss how exercise affects mood and the reward system in the brain related to addiction. The agency also announced $4 million for new research studies on the subject.

Addiction treatment programs sometimes have an exercise component, but there has been little research into its effect on recovery. One Brown University study suggested that taking female smokers to the gym three times per week doubled their odds of quitting, as well as limiting their weight gain.

On the other hand, research also suggests that athletes are more likely to be binge drinkers.