Sure, you knew it did a number on your liver, not to mention your waistline. But heavy drinking has another consequence: trouble walking and balancing that lasts long after you sober up.

Researchers in Hawaii asked 152 alcoholics who had quit drinking and 52 non-alcoholic control participants to do a series of tasks that resembled sobriety tests. For example, people stood still with their arms crossed, walked heel-to-toe, and stood on one leg. Then, they did it all again, this time with their eyes closed.

Alcoholics who’d stopped drinking for a month or two had troubles with all the tests, according to the study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Even those who’d been sober an average of seven years did worse on the one-legged, eyes-closed test than those who'd never had alcohol problems.

“It’s not apparent when you see people walking—but if you test them, you see persistent deficits in balance,” says study author George Fein, M.D., of Neurobehavioral Research, Inc., in Honolulu.

More from MensHealth.com: What Really Happens When You're Drunk

Are You at Risk?

We know what you’re thinking: Did all that boozing you did in college leave you permanently teetering? It’s not yet clear, Fein says. Scientists have previously detected these problems in people who drank so much they were hospitalized for psychiatric problems, and the people in the new study met official diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence—i.e., for at least one year, they had problems with alcohol that could include withdrawal symptoms and drinking more despite wanting to stop.

Researchers haven’t yet pinpointed the exact amount of alcohol or duration of drinking needed to throw you off kilter. The specifics likely vary from person to person, depending on factors like genetics and tolerance, Dr. Fein says.

Fein cautions that even one brush with alcohol poisoning can damage parts of the brain involved with maintaining balance, including the cerebellum. “We’ve been studying long-term alcoholics who drank for 15 to 20 years, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t see these problems earlier,” he says.

More from MensHealth.com: Sober Up

Test Your Stability

If you’re worried, try the balance test used in the study. Close your eyes and stand on one leg for 30 seconds. If you can’t—and you don’t have diabetes, knee issues, or another health condition that might affect your balance—your drinking could be to blame, Fein says.

If it’s booze that’s turned you into a human wobbleboard, there’s no way to reverse these effects except to stop drinking entirely. Eventually, Fein says, you should recover most if not all of your equilibrium.

Of course, many of us are balance-challenged without heavy alcohol use. Try this program to improve yours.

Cindy Kuzma Contributing Writer Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013.

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