Dr. Axe Wire · Labs & diagnostics · health

Wine Polyphenol Markers Linked to Muscle Strength in Older Adults

A cross-sectional study of 50 older adults found urinary markers of red wine polyphenols tracked with grip strength and muscle mass.

By Dr. Josh Axe · November 14, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

At a glance

What they found: Older adults with higher urine levels of red wine plant compounds tended to have stronger grip strength and more muscle mass.
Who was studied: 29 classified as probable sarcopenic, 21 as non-sarcopenic.

Higher urinary levels of compounds from red wine polyphenols were linked to greater handgrip strength and muscle mass in older adults, according to a study published November 6, 2026 in Food & Function.

50adults studied

29probable sarcopenia

21non-sarcopenic

Researchers measured urine samples and muscle health in 50 older adults, average age 69.1, divided into 29 people with probable sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) and 21 without it. Using liquid chromatography, a lab method that identifies and measures specific compounds, they quantified urinary biomarkers of red wine polyphenol intake, including catechin sulfate, methyl-catechin sulfate and resveratrol derivatives.

People with higher levels of these urinary markers tended to have greater handgrip strength, more skeletal muscle mass, and larger appendicular muscle mass (the muscle in the arms and legs). Ultrasound measurements showed a similar pattern for two thigh-muscle measures, muscle thickness and cross-sectional size, in the quadriceps and a related thigh muscle, a pattern the authors report was seen mainly in women. No effect sizes, percentages or statistical comparisons were reported in the abstract.

The authors state these findings support an association between wine-derived polyphenol metabolites and muscle health markers in older adults. Polyphenols are plant compounds found in grapes, berries, tea and many other foods; in general, they have antioxidant properties that can support cells against everyday oxidative stress, a mechanism not directly tested in this study.

These findings support associations between wine-derived (poly)phenol metabolites and muscle health.

Study authorsFood & Function, 2026

This cross-sectional design captures one snapshot in time, so it cannot establish that wine polyphenols built or preserved muscle, only that the two were linked. The abstract reports no effect sizes, confidence intervals or statistical significance values, and no funding or conflict-of-interest statement was included. The authors themselves call for prospective studies and trials using dealcoholized wine to separate the effects of the polyphenols from those of alcohol itself.

Dr. Axe’s Take

I would not read this as a reason to drink more wine. The compounds tracked here, catechin and resveratrol derivatives, come from grape skins and show up without alcohol in grapes, berries and green tea, and the authors themselves want future trials to use dealcoholized wine so they can separate the polyphenols from alcohol's effects. For anyone watching muscle strength as they age, I would focus on protein at every meal, polyphenol-rich berries and grapes, and resistance training two to three times a week, which has far stronger evidence for preserving grip strength and muscle mass than this urine data.

— Dr. Axe

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Story summary

Who: 50 adults, mean age 69.1 years; 29 classified as probable sarcopenic, 21 as non-sarcopenic.
Design: Cross-sectional study measuring urinary (poly)phenol biomarkers and muscle health parameters at a single time point.
Dose: Not an intervention; urinary biomarker levels reflected usual wine polyphenol intake, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Primary result: Higher urinary levels of catechin sulfate, methyl-catechin sulfate and resveratrol derivatives were linked to greater handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass and appendicular muscle mass; exact effect sizes not reported.
Secondary: Positive associations also seen with ultrasound-measured thigh muscle thickness and cross-sectional size in the quadriceps and a related thigh muscle, mainly in women; size not reported.
Funding / conflicts: Funders listed in the journal record: Generalitat de Catalunya; European Social Fund; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; Agencia Estatal de Investigación; European Regional Development Fund; Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Conflicts not reported in the abstract.
Date: Nov 6, 2026