A recent study noted that long-term daily consumption of cocoa does not improve exercise-related digestive problems in male athletes and only minimal changes to their gut microbiome. Vigorous or intense exercise can cause digestive upset for some people, the study published in the ‘Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’ found.
Symptoms may include nausea, heartburn, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In the worst cases, symptoms are so bad that athletes will stop what they were doing and drop out of competitions.
Previous studies have suggested that long-term consumption of cocoa may alleviate these issues due to the flavoring substance’s high levels of flavonoids. These compounds may exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and have been shown to have a prebiotic effect on beneficial gut microbes in animal studies. However, chronic consumption of cocoa powder by humans for reducing exercise-related digestive problems has not been investigated in a standardized manner. Therefore, François Fenile, Mar Larosa, and colleagues wanted to develop a highly controlled but realistic human trial to assess whether cocoa might help.
Using the gold standard format for human trials, researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 54 physically fit male athletes who followed a strict training routine over 10 weeks. During that time, participants supplemented their regular diet with either flavonoid-rich cocoa or a placebo starch powder mixed with semi-skim milk, which they drank daily for breakfast.
At the beginning and end of the training period, the athletes performed a high-endurance running test. Participants’ gastrointestinal symptoms did not change in either supplement group, indicating that cocoa did not improve exercise-induced digestive complaints.
In the end, the researchers found only minor effects on the gut microbiome and the composition of plasma and faecal metabolites. Although the athletes’ diets, which included high amounts of fruits and vegetables, may have masked a small effect of cocoa, the researchers concluded that cocoa was an effective exercise regimen for suppressing gastrointestinal problems or altering the overall gut microbiome of endurance athletes. is not a supplement. ,
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