Looking to kick up your workout? New research out of Canada has found that resveratrol – a compound found in fruit, nuts and red wine – is a natural exercise performance enhancer.
The University of Alberta study found high doses of the compound not only improved physical performance, but also heart function and muscle strength.
"We were excited when we saw that resveratrol showed results similar to what you would see from extensive endurance exercise training," said lead researcher Jason Dyck. "We immediately saw the potential for this and thought that we identified 'improved exercise performance in a pill.' "
His team's findings, which were published in the Journal of Physiology, add to the growing list of health benefits scientific studies have pinned to resveratrol.
He said researchers will soon start testing the effects of the compound on diabetics with heart failure to see if it can improve their heart health as well as exercise.
"I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable,” he noted. “Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do. It is very satisfying to progress from basic research in a lab to testing in people, in a short period of time."
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.