The latest resveratrol rumor is that it voids the health benefits of exercise. In a study recently published in The Journal of Physiology, researchers gave 14 men given a daily dose of 250 mg of resveratrol and compared their post-training stats with those of 13 men who stuck to the same 8-week, high-intensity workout plan but didn’t supplement. After crunching the numbers, the University of Copenhagen researchers concluded that resveratrol supplementation dulled a few of exercise’s best side effects, like improved blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and peak aerobic capacity. Since measuring the effects of any supplement in just a handful of people can’t say a lot about a supplement’s usefulness, this is best taken with a grain of salt. “When humans consume resveratrol in a supplement form, it typically doesn’t have much of an effect at all,” says David Nieman, DrPH, director of the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University. “This finding is quite a stretch, based on other studies.” What about all the buzz about resveratrol boosting heart health? It’s mostly based on research that took place in petri dishes and rats, not human bodies, and doses of resveratrol impossible to find in a few glasses of wine or a supplement. “There is no way you can approach the levels of resveratrol used in these studies,” says Nieman. “The doses are the equivalent of liters and liters of wine, and the supplement is not widely available—it’s not even regarded as stable.” So don’t stress—a glass of wine won’t void the hard-earned results of your gym sessions. And your best bet for filling up on antixoidants? Colorful fruits and veggies. More from Prevention: The Health Benefits Of Red Wine
