Resveratrol, Endurance Enhancer or Placebo Effect?

20 months of Resveratrol use and I am still not finished questioning whether or not Resveratrol provides endurance benefits.  It would be nice to see real research results, providing those who take resveratrol with definitive answers, however it looks like we will just have to wait for them.

The questions I often ask myself are the following:

• Does resveratrol increase my endurance above and beyond the maximum levels that would be obtained without taking it?
• Does resveratrol quicken the amount of time it takes to maximize my endurance, but not provide an ability to go over what the maximum would be without it?
• Does resveratrol not have anything to do with my endurance levels or possibly hurt it?

I've read "stories" and articles where they discuss professional athletes in biking, mixed martial arts (MMA), swimming, running, and other active sports, taking resveratrol as part of a supplement routine.  The question is, is it working?

I can not look to anyone other than myself to try and determine the answers to these questions.  For one thing, resveratrol may not effect one person like it effects another.  So I took some time the other day to sit back and recall the activity levels throughout the course of my life.  Now I am young by most people's indication of "old" and "young", however, I am past what many would consider their prime from an athletic perspective.

Here is what I was able to recall from my memory:

In my early teens I was active, playing baseball, tennis, and skiing.  Like most active teens my endurance level was high, I was able to play 5 sets of tennis with limited rest.  Skiing from 9am to 9pm was easy with just taking a break for lunch and dinner.  During my early teens I don't recall doing much aerobic activity though as most of the sports I played were anaerobic in nature.

My late teens things changed slightly.  I hit the gym hard, focusing more on building muscle mass.  I was always on the "small" size and I wanted badly to put on mass.  I put my time in at the gym and did less of the organized sports and anaerobic activity.  I went from about 140lbs to 175lbs from the time i was 17 to 21.  My body fat percentage remained low throughout the course of the increase in weight, never exceeding 10% and typically coming in at 6-8%.  Putting on weight was hard!

I graduated college and everything changed.  I didn't have the time (so I thought) to workout, play sports, or watch what I ate.  I quickly fell into a routine where not being healthy was easy, so I just went with it.  For the first few years the effects didn't show.  From the ages of 22 to 32 I simply "let myself go."  A ski trip brought me back to reality.  I couldn't make it down one run without stopping numerous times to catch my breathe.  At that moment I vowed to never let something like that happen again.

This is where resveratrol came into the picture for me.  I was back in the gym and I was 32 years old.  I was enjoying my new approach to being healthy.  I ate better, I worked out 3-4 days per week, and I researched.

I started taking resveratrol shortly after getting into my new fitness regimen.  I went from getting winded walking up a short flight of stairs, to being able to go through a rigorous gym routine without needing more than a 30 second break.  It happened fast.  My recovery speeds seem to get shorter and shorter.  I felt less winded and was able to push myself to workout harder and faster.

I now feel like I did when I was in my early teens, perhaps even a little better!  Now, I am not saying this is because of resveratrol; I worked hard, ate properly (for the most part), and got the help of a trainer in the gym.  But, there is something inside me that makes me believe the recovery would not have been so fast had it not been for the resveratrol.

I am now 34 years old and I feel great!  There is no possible way I will allow myself to fall back to the horrible physical conditioning of my twenties.  For now, I will keep taking resveratrol and keep a close eye on the results of future professional research.

Comments

[DEllis]

I am a big supporter of resveratrol also. It has changed my life too. I have tried many different brands out there. The one that I am currently taking and am most impressed with is the Jarrow Formulas Resveratrol Synergy 200, not to be confused with the Jarrow Formulas Resveratrol Synergy. The 200 has 200mg of resveratrol. I am a runner and ever since I started taking the Jarrow brand, my time improved 6 minutes with in the first 2 days! This products has made the most difference out of the all the ones that I have tried (ie. Gaia Herbs, Natures Way, Garden Greens, Lifetime and Now Foods). I am also shocked at what some of thesee stores charge for it. I have found it here at the lowest price on the internet, http://www.vitaminlab.net/JF_Resveratrol_Synergy_200 but you can find it most likely at any health food or vitamin store.