Influence of high dose cocoa-flavanol intake on factors affecting exercise performance and recovery

Effect of acute cocoa flavanols intake on exercise-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and nitric oxide production in healthy athletes: a randomized controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN14438374

Enrollment

Registered

2017-04-28

Start date

2015-03-15

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2017-05-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Exercise performance and recovery Not Applicable

Interventions

Participants perform an incremental cycling test on the first occasion. On two separate occasions, subjects perform two 30-min time trials on an indoor cycle-ergometer, interposed by passive rest, 1.5

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Age: between 20 years and 35 years 2. No severe head injuries in the past 3. No intake of neurological or psychological medication 4. Healthy 5. No hypertension 6. No cardiovascular disease 7. Cycling training of at least 10 hours per week for the last 2 years

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Age: younger than 20 years or older than 35 years 2. Severe head injuries in the past 3. Intake of neurological or psychological medication which might alter cognitive function (psychotropic drugs, beta adrenergic blockers, steroids) 4. Hypertension 5. Cardiovascular disease 6. Other diseases which can alter cognitive function (diabetes, depression)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Epicatechin serum concentration 2. Trolox equivalent antioxidative capacity (TEAC) 3. Uric acid (UA) plasma concentration 4. Malonaldehyde (MDA) plasma concentration 5. L-arginine/ADMA plasma concentration 6. Citrulline plasma concentration 7. Interleukin (IL)-1 plasma concentration 8. IL-6 plasma concentration 9. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a plasma concentration Measured at baseline and before and after each time trial (pre-TT1, post-TT1, pre-TT1, post-TT1) by HPLC, ELISA and spectrophotometry of plasma and serum (blood)	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Epicatechin serum concentration 2. Trolox equivalent antioxidative capacity (TEAC) 3. Uric acid (UA) plasma concentration 4. Malonaldehyde (MDA) plasma concentration 5. L-arginine/ADMA plasma concentration 6. Citrulline plasma concentration 7. Interleukin (IL)-1 plasma concentration 8. IL-6 plasma concentration 9. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a plasma concentration Measured at baseline and before and after each time trial (pre-TT1, post-TT1, pre-TT1, post-TT1) by HPLC, ELISA and spectrophotometry of plasma and serum (blood)

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Time trial performance; time to complete a certain predefined workload during time trial 1 (90-120 min after cocoa intake) and during time trial 2 (210-240 min after cocoa intake) 2. Physiological parameters during time trial: 2.1. Lactate concentration, glucose concentration and rate of perceived exertion at start, after 10 min, after 20 min and at the end of each time trial 2.2. Heart rate and power output at start, after 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mintues and at the end of each time trial	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Time trial performance; time to complete a certain predefined workload during time trial 1 (90-120 min after cocoa intake) and during time trial 2 (210-240 min after cocoa intake) 2. Physiological parameters during time trial: 2.1. Lactate concentration, glucose concentration and rate of perceived exertion at start, after 10 min, after 20 min and at the end of each time trial 2.2. Heart rate and power output at start, after 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mintues and at the end of each time trial

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Countries

Belgium

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026