Washington, Sep 1 - Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronise daily activities with light, even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study.

The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's masterclock and how it affects behaviour. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby of the University of Tennessee (UTE).

Alcohol consumption affects the master clock located in the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature.

Researchers used hamsters (a rodent species) to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronises their clocks, just as with humans.

The animals were divided into three groups. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10 percent alcohol and the third group received water containing 20 percent alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolise quickly.