Study suggests that drinking a glass of red wine has the same effect as going to the gym

This might just be the best news ever (or close to it anyway).

A study says that resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine, can improve physical performance and muscle strength. Researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada, found that resveratrol, also found in nuts and grapes, could potentially help people who want to exercise but find it difficult. It is also likely to intensify the benefits of exercise for those who can only manage short bursts of strenuous activity. Lead researcher, Jason Dyck, spoke to Science Daily about the findings:

"We were excited when we saw that resveratrol showed results similar to what you would see from extensive endurance exercise training".

"I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. 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".

However, this only applies to one glass of wine and any more than that is likely to undo all the good work. Oh and if you needed another reason to indulge in a glass of red this evening, research has previously said it can help improve heart health and is thought to reduce cholesterol. It's antioxidant rich too so when it comes to alcoholic beverages, it's one of the better options. All in moderation, of course!