Effects of regular high-cocoa chocolate intake on arterial stiffness and metabolic characteristics during exercise

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effects of regular high-cocoa chocolate consumption on arterial stiffness and fat oxidation during light- to moderate-intensity exercise. Methods This randomized, controlled, parallel-group intervention study included 32 Japanese college students (mean age, 20.7 ± 0.3 y; men, n = 24; women, n = 8) who were assigned to either control or intervention groups (n = 16 each). The control group did not alter their habitual diet or physical activity throughout the study period. The intervention group consumed 20 g/d (508 mg of cacao polyphenol) of high-cocoa chocolate for 4 wk. Blood pressure, heart-ankle pulse wave velocity, cardio-ankle vascular index, body composition, and metabolic characteristics during exercise at 50% maximal oxygen uptake level were assessed before and after the intervention. Results Four weeks of high-cocoa chocolate ingestion significantly reduced heart-ankle pulse wave velocity and cardio-ankle vascular index (%change, intervention versus control: –2.3 ± 0.9% versus 0.9 ± 0.9%, and –4.8 ± 1.8% versus 0.7 ± 1.3%, respectively; both P Conclusions Four weeks of regular high-cocoa chocolate consumption reduced arterial stiffness after considering blood pressure in healthy young men and women. However, the habitual consumption of high-cocoa chocolate for 4 wk did not affect metabolic characteristics during light- to moderate-intensity exercise and body composition.