Just in case you want to skip at least an hour of torturous gym time or you simply don't want to exercise at least for a day, you may want to drink a glass of red wine. A Canadian study suggests that it has a similar effect to a one-hour exercise.
Around two years ago, a team of researchers from University of Alberta led by Jason Dyck looked into the effects of resveratrol, an antioxidant that is often found in grapes, which are in turn pressed and processed to bottle into red wine.
They discovered during the course of their study and research that this component not only improved cardiac function but also enhanced physical performance, things that also happens when you work out.
The study, however, should not mean you should skip exercising altogether. For one, the intention of the research was not to make you lazy with regard to performing physical activities but to provide those who are have physical limitations, perhaps due to disability, an alternative or supplement to their own regular exercise.
Besides, even if a bottle of red wine has resveratrol, it also contains a high calorie-it is reported to have 100 calories per glass-so drinking a lot of it in a day is counterproductive to one's health. The amount of alcohol it possesses may also affect your judgment, decision skills, and memory, among others.
Meanwhile, Jason Dyck continues his work on cardiovascular function and disease as he and his current team received a $1 million grant early this October, as reported by Edmonton Journal.
With the award, Dyck and his team can move forward to a project that may hopefully change the way we do heart transplant. They are working on modifying transplantable heart genetically to reduce the risk of rejection and infection.
