The influence of different concentrations of flavanol chocolate bars under acute supplement conditions on exercise and performance

Biomechanical and neuromuscular adaptations in joint contributions during loaded countermovement jumps

This study investigates the relative contributions of the hip, knee, and ankle joints during lower limb extension exercises under varying supramaximal loads in elite volleyball players, utilizing advanced kinematic and dynamic metrics. Thirty-three elite male volleyball athletes from the Chinese National Team participated in this controlled experimental study. The study employed a repeated measures ANOVA to assess differences across loading conditions, with effect sizes calculated using partial eta-squared (η2). Significant shifts in joint contributions were observed as external loads increased, with the knee joint being the primary contributor at lower loads and the hip joint assuming dominance as the load increased. Specifically, the Net Joint Moments (NJMs) at the knee decreased significantly (95%CI, p < 0.001), while those at the hip increased correspondingly (95%CI, p < 0.001), highlighting the biomechanical demands of higher loads. Despite these shifts, the maximum flexion angles remained stable across all conditions. The findings suggest that unweighted countermovement jumps (CMJs) optimize knee muscle strength, while low-load CMJs are more effective for enhancing hip muscle strength and explosive power. These insights are critical for developing training programs that improve performance and reduce injury risk in high-intensity sports.

Concomitant dual-site tDCS and dark chocolate improve cognitive and endurance performance following cognitive effort under hypoxia: a randomized controlled trial

Ten male cyclists were randomized into four experimental conditions in this randomized, cross-over, double-blind, and sham-controlled study to test the combined effect of acute dark chocolate (DC) ingestion and anodal concurrent dual-site transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) targeting M1 and left DLPFC on cognitive and whole-body endurance performance in hypoxia after performing a cognitive task. Two hours before the sessions, chocolate was consumed. After arriving at the lab, participants completed an incongruent Stroop task for 30 min in hypoxia (O2 = 13%) to induce mental fatigue, followed by 20 min of tDCS (2 mA) in hypoxia. Then, in hypoxia, they performed a time-to-exhaustion task (TTE) while measuring physiological and psychophysiological responses. Cognitive performance was measured at baseline, after the Stroop task, and during and after TTE. TTE in 'DC + a-tDCS' was significantly longer than in 'white chocolate (WC) + a-tDCS' and WC + sham-tDCS'. The vastus medialis muscle electromyography amplitude was significantly higher in 'DC + a-tDCS' and 'DC + sham-tDCS' than in 'WC + sh-tDCS'. During and after the TTE, choice reaction time was significantly lower in 'DC + a-tDCS' compared to 'WC + sh-tDCS'. Other physiological or psychophysiological variables showed no significant differences. The concurrent use of acute DC consumption and dual-site a-tDCS might improve cognitive and endurance performance in hypoxia.

How Healthy Is It to Fortify Cocoa-Based Products with Cocoa Flavanols? A Comprehensive Review

(1) Background: Cocoa's healthy benefits may be attributed to the potent antioxidant activity of cocoa polyphenols, mainly flavanols, which have been characterised as existing in a high concentration in cocoa. However, the phenolic composition of cocoa and cocoa-derived products is highly variable, and manufacturing processes might significantly reduce their phenolic content. For that reason, the full characterisation of cocoa and cocoa-derived products before evaluating their bioactivity is crucial. The aim of this review is to analyse the available evidence on the effect of flavanol-fortified cocoa-derived products on human health. (2) Methods: Forty-eight clinical trials focused on the health effect of consuming flavanol-fortified drinks, bars and chocolate have been reviewed, with a total of 1523 subjects. (3) Results: Although studies differ widely in methodology, dosage, duration, and target population, beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa consumption have been observed at doses ranging from 45.3 mg/d to 1078 mg/d, especially on cardiovascular health and cognitive function. (4) Conclusions: Considering the high consumption and acceptability of cocoa and cocoa-derived products, the fortification of cocoa products as well as other highly consumed foods with cocoa flavanols could be an effective strategy for health promotion.

Effects of Functional Phenolics Dietary Supplementation on Athletes' Performance and Recovery: A Review

In recent years, many efforts have been made to identify micronutrients or nutritional strategies capable of preventing, or at least, attenuating, exercise-induced muscle damage and oxidative stress, and improving athlete performance. The reason is that most exercises induce various changes in mitochondria and cellular cytosol that lead to the generation of reactive species and free radicals whose accumulation can be harmful to human health. Among them, supplementation with phenolic compounds seems to be a promising approach since their chemical structure, composed of catechol, pyrogallol, and methoxy groups, gives them remarkable health-promoting properties, such as the ability to suppress inflammatory processes, counteract oxidative damage, boost the immune system, and thus, reduce muscle soreness and accelerate recovery. Phenolic compounds have also already been shown to be effective in improving temporal performance and reducing psychological stress and fatigue. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the current knowledge on the effects of dietary phenolics on physical performance and recovery in athletes and sports practitioners. Overall, the reports show that phenolics exert important benefits on exercise-induced muscle damage as well as play a biological/physiological role in improving physical performance.

The effects of cocoa flavanols on indices of muscle recovery and exercise performance: a narrative review

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, muscle soreness, and reductions in muscle function. Cocoa flavanols (CF) are (poly)phenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and thus may attenuate symptoms of EIMD. The purpose of this narrative review was to collate and evaluate the current literature investigating the effect of CF supplementation on markers of exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as changes in muscle function, perceived soreness, and exercise performance. Acute and sub-chronic intake of CF reduces oxidative stress resulting from exercise. Evidence for the effect of CF on exercise-induced inflammation is lacking and the impact on muscle function, perceived soreness and exercise performance is inconsistent across studies. Supplementation of CF may reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress, with potential for delaying fatigue, but more evidence is required for any definitive conclusions on the impact of CF on markers of EIMD.