ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2026
Dose-dependent effects of flavanol-rich dark chocolate intake before resistance exercise on arterial stiffness in healthy young men.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
aimsThis study investigated the effects of dark chocolate intake volume and cocoa polyphenol content on arterial stiffness after resistance exercise. Experiment 1 examined different intake volumes, while Experiment 2 examined different polyphenol contents per 50 g of dark chocolate.
methodsEleven healthy young men participated in each experiment (there was an overlap of seven participants). Experiment 1 consisted of a 0 g, 25 g, and 50 g trial. In Experiment 2, participants completed a high (HCP), medium (MCP), and non-cacao polyphenol (NCP) trial. In both experiments, the resistance exercise included a bench press (5 sets of 5 repetitions at 80% of one repetition maximum [1RM]) and bicep curls (5 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% 1RM). Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), arterial compliance, and β-stiffness index were recorded at baseline, before, immediately after, and 30 and 60 min after resistance exercise.
resultsIn both experiments, baPWV significantly increased immediately after resistance exercise compared to baseline in all trials (p < 0.05). In the 0 g and 25 g trials of Experiment 1, baPWV remained elevated at 30 and 60 min after resistance exercise (p < 0.05). In Experiment 2, baPWV remained significantly elevated in the NCP and MCP trials (p < 0.05) at 30 and 60 min.
conclusionThese results suggest that the volume-dependent effect of dark chocolate may contribute to the rapid decrease in arterial stiffness with resistance exercise, and that an intake of 50 g of dark chocolate containing 1285 mg of cocoa polyphenols is likely optimal.
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