NCT01259739

Cocoa Flavanols and Exercise Capacity

The Impact of Dietary Cocoa Flavanols on Cardio-pulmonary Exercise Capacity in Human.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 13 (actual)
• Sponsor: Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 20 Years – 36 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to characterize the potential improvement of cocoa flavanols on exercise capacity in highly trained cyclist. A placebo-controlled double-blinded randomized control study will be performed in 13 highly trained cyclist (crossover design). Participants will perform a baseline exercise testing on an ergometer. They will receive either a flavanol-poor or flavanol rich cocoa drink twice daily for one week before a second and third exercise testing is performed. The order of drinks is randomized and balanced (high-flavanol--\>low-flavanol drink or low-flavanol drink--\>high-flavanol drink)

Detailed description

13 participants (highly-trained cyclist, accustomed to exercise testing on ergometers will be enrolled (VO2max\>50 ml/kg, FMD \>5%, non-smokers, no medication, no diseases, age 20-36, male). Baseline Testing: Participants will perform a baseline testing consisting of an ergometric test with a step-wise increase of workload until exhaustion to determine lactate anaerobic threshold and cardio-pulmonary exercise capacity. Vascular function is monitored by Doppler Ultrasound. In a second test, participants will perform a time trial (goal: as fast as possible) Flavanol intervention Participants will twice daily receive either a flavanol-poor cocoa drink (13mg/dl)or a flavanol-rich cocoa drink (596mg/dl) over a period of 7 days. Order is randomized and balanced. Subjects will crossover to the second arm after a washout period of 7 days. Testing performed on baseline day is repeated after the intake of both drinks In a subgroup of n=6 participants, we will test whether the blood pressure cuff maneuver used for FMD will itself modify nitrite levels. For this the manuever will be completed 4 times and compared to n=6 untreated controls. in another subgroup 6 participants will receive 4times the maneuver but reperfusion will be limited by means of an ultrasound probe.

Conditions

• Exercise Capacity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Cocoa	dissolved in water twice-daily intervention

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-11-01
• Primary completion: 2013-10-01
• Completion: 2013-11-01
• First posted: 2010-12-14
• Last updated: 2013-11-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany