Red Wine Supplement May Block Benefits of Exercise in Older Men

Although some antioxidants may be good, more may not be better. New research suggests that resveratrol, a natural antioxidant found in red grapes and products derived from them -- such as red wine -- could offset the health benefits of exercise in older men. The study involved 27 healthy but inactive men, all nonsmokers around 65 years old. The University of Copenhagen researchers had the men engage in high-intensity exercise, which included full-body circuit training, for a total of eight weeks. During this time, half of the participants were given 250 milligrams (mg) of resveratrol daily. The rest of the men received a placebo pill that contained no active ingredients. Neither the researchers nor the men involved in the study knew if they were taking resveratrol or the dummy pill. Although physical activity improved the men's heart health, the study, published online July 22 in the Journal of Physiology, revealed that resveratrol supplements counteracted the positive effects of exercise on blood pressure, levels of fat in the blood and the capacity of the body to transport and use oxygen. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_139052.html