A chocolate milkshake could be the perfect ally to drink before training

Drinking a powdered chocolate shake or eating a chocolate bar before training can help middle-aged people with exercise because it generates the perfect burst of energy needed by the body before training, warns a new study.

This is great news for cocoa lovers.. Researchers from the John Moores and Hope Universities in Liverpool discovered that a bioactive compound in cocoa increases blood flow and facilitates exercise by promoting faster absorption of oxygen.

Scientists observed that because the rate at which oxygen uptake increases during exercise decreases with age, they found that certain compounds in chocolate are useful for those who exercise in middle age.

The study, published in the specialized journal European Journal of Applied Physiology, specify that flavonoids are found naturally in many plants, including tea, apples, various berries, and cocoa beans. The plant nutrient, which can be taken as a supplement, is also found in cocoa powder and, to a lesser extent, in dark chocolate.

Previous studies had already demonstrated its beneficial effect on health, which is why the research group from John Moores University in Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University tested its impact on a group of sedentary but healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 60.

During a series of tests over a five-week period, participants were driven to exhaustion using a lab exercise bike to establish the power output and peak VO2 of each. individual. -digit which describes the cardiorespiratory capacity-, that is to say the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can use during the exercise.

They were then administered a daily supplement of 400 mg of cocoa flavanol or a placebo for seven days before participating in other tests to determine how long it takes for the oxygen supply to meet exercise demands. They pointed out that the shorter the answer, the better you can perform a given exercise.

Those who received the flavanol supplement reduced that response time from around 40 seconds to 34, which the researchers said was essential because it “exceeds the minimum physiologically relevant change” by about 5 seconds.

However,Scientists have recommended that if you really want to reap the rewards of cocoa flavanol, eating a bar of chocolate before lifting weights is not the best way to do it..

In its place, recommends consuming a shake with a tablespoon and a half of cocoa because natural cocoa powder contains on average 34.6 mg per gram of flavanol.

In comparison, the average milk chocolate bar contains 0.73 mg per gram and dark chocolate about 1,156 mg per gram.

Simon marwood, associate professor of sports science at Liverpool Hope University, said: “It is better to take supplements than to eat dark chocolate because The possible beneficial effects of cocoa flavonoids occur during exercise when high doses are consumed, over 400 mg of flavonoids. and because dark chocolate contains fat and sugar which can negate the beneficial potential of any bioactive component”.

He also added that “taking cocoa flavanol supplements could also be a way to encourage people to follow a new exercise regimen.”

“One barrier to starting an exercise program is poor physical condition in the first place, possibly due to the discomfort associated with what might otherwise be light exercise,” Marwood explained.

“Without frequent exercise, aging results in a slower rate at which our oxygen uptake increases at the start of exercise.», He alerted.

This slowing in the rate of increase in oxygen uptake has a negative effect on a person’s ability to tolerate exercise. a higher dietary intake of flavanols has been linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia: the continued deterioration of brain function.

Previous research has credited flavonoids with the ability to reduce inflammation associated with heart disease and reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots. They are also believed to help control diabetes and high blood pressure.

KEEP READING: