Compound In Red Wine That Boosts Testosterone May Distort Athlete Drug Tests

A flavonoid compound in red wine not only increases the amount of the performance-enhancing hormone testosterone in an athlete’s body, it also slows its excretion, potentially distorting the findings of drug tests, British researchers have found. The compound, known as quercetin, partially blocks the action of an enzyme called UGT2B17 which looks for testosterone and then sends a message to the kidneys to excrete it. The research has so far been conducted only in test tubes and has yet to be studied in clinical trials. Nevertheless, the researchers have referred their findings to the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees drug testing in athletic competitions.