Physical Wellness

Resveratrol can Hinder Benefits of Exercise

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Nov 04, 2014 09:26 AM EST

The compound resveratrol, which can be found in red wine, has repeatedly been linked to several health benefits until now. According to a new study, researchers found that resveratrol can hinder the beneficial effects of exercise.

"The easiest way to experience the benefits of physical activity is to be physically active," Dr. Brendon Gurd, a kinesiology and health studies professor at Queen's University in Canada, said in a news release reported by FOX News. "The efficacy of RSV at improving metabolic and cardiovascular functions is not as profound as once thought."

For this study, the researchers recruited 16 participants. All of them had to perform high-intensity interval training three times per week for four weeks. Weekly training did not surpass three hours. Half of them supplemented the training with resveratrol and the other half took a placebo. The supplements were taken once a day.

After the training was completed, the researchers examined the participants' health. They found that people who took resveratrol did not experience improvements in their health associated with physical activity. People who took the placebo, however, had some improvements in their physical fitness.

Gurd stated, according to the Washington Post, that resveratrol can somehow "inhibit the body's normal training response...RSV supplementation doesn't augment training, but may impair the effect if has on the body."

Gurd acknowledged the fact that the study was extremely small. More studies would need to be conducted in order to determine whether or not resveratrol supplements are as beneficial as people believe.

The study was published in the journal, Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism.

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