Collagen Synthesis
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of epicatechin-rich cocoa in humans on collagen synthesis and power-based performance outcomes (rate of force development).
Detailed description
The investigators have recently completed a study looking at the expression of the collagens following consumption of increasing doses of epicatechin in rats . This data clearly shows that increasing doses of epicatechin, either 0.5 mg.kg-1 delivered once, twice, or three times a day, or 2 mg.kg-1 once a day, results in increasing expression of the fibrillar collagens (I, III, and V). This preliminary data suggests that epicatechin-rich chocolate supplementation can increase collagen expression in humans and that this may improve force transfer. From this background, the hypothesis proposed is that supplementation with epicatechin-rich chocolate will increase rate of force development and performance in athletes. Therefore, this simple nutrition intervention has the potential to simultaneously improve performance, decrease injuries and accelerate return to competition through improved collagen synthesis.
Interventions
OTHEREpicatechin-rich cocoa dose response
Subjects consume randomized doses of 0, 1, 2, 3 mg epicatechin/kg from epicatechin-rich cocoa. The optimal dose of epicatechin-rich chocolate will be the dose which have the greatest increase PNIP levels.
OTHEREpicatechin-rich cocoa vs placebo on performance
An optimized dose of epicatechin-rich cocoa or placebo will be given for 3 weeks alongside a prescribed power-based training program. In a randomized parallel design the effect of the optimal dose of epicatechin-rich chocolate, compared to placebo, on maximal isometric squat force, RFD, and jump testing will be quantified.
Sponsors
University of California, Davis
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Masking description
Alkalized (0.01 mg epicatechin/g) ) and non alkalized cocoa (4.1 mg epicatechin/g) will be mixed in various ratios to achieve the desired 0, 1, 2, 3 mg/ kg body mass but maintaining equally weighed dose of cocoa for each intervention. For Arm 2, the same quantity of either alkalized or non alkalized cocoa will be given to achieve the optimized dosed of epicatechin.
Intervention model description
Arm 1 of the project will employ a randomized single-blinded crossover design with subjects completing all 4 of the epicatechin-rich chocolate trials (0, 1, 2 and 3 mg.kg-1). Arm 2 will use a randomized parallel double-blind design with neither the subjects nor the investigators knowing who is on which treatment (optimized epicatechin-rich chocolate dose or Dutch processed/epicatechin depleted placebo.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Collegiate level male athletes between the ages of 18¬-25 years of age, currently participating in sport, will be recruited to participate in the study.
Exclusion criteria
* History of more than 3 musculoskeletal injuries within the past 12 months. * Health and dietary restriction (e.g. lactose intolerance) that would be affected by the supplementation protocol. * The initial phase will be performed in males since collagen synthesis varies significantly throughout the menstrual cycle in females. Since collagen synthesis is the main outcome measure for the study this would confound the initial phase of the work. Provided this work proves successful then the investigators will aim to proceed with similar research in females.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Epicatechin-rich cocoa dose response | ~26 days | investigating effects doses of 0, 1, 2, 3 mg epicatechin/kg/day procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) in the blood after 5 days of supplementation with 2-day wash out between. |
| Effect of the optimized dose of epicatechin-rich cocoa on performance | ~22 days | Performance measures (of rate of force development) will be quantified for 3 weeks alongside the ingestion of an optimized dose of epicatechin-rich cocoa vs placebo. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed