Cocoa for Endurance

News Release / 21.05.2013

We might be used to chocolate flavoured sports supplements, but a new study has indicated that the main ingredient in chocolate itself could prove to be a powerful endurance booster.

The basis of all chocolate, before sugar, milk and other ingredients are added, is the cocoa bean, from which cocoa nibs are extracted. Research¹ carried out last year showed that a naturally occurring substance in cocoa, called epicatechin, has an apparent ability to improve the functioning of muscle cells’ power-producing units, the mitochondria. At the time the research was published it caused waves of excitement in sports world as it meant cocoa could potentially increase the endurance ability of athletes, although the research hadn’t looked directly at this.

However the scientists involved in the first study have just published results, in the leading journal Clinical Science, of a pilot study² that shows subjects who supplement their diets with cocoa do indeed increase their endurance ability (with an increase in VO2 of approximately 24%) and their muscle function also improves.

Whilst these results need further investigation they do imply that the raw ingredient in chocolate has the ability to improve endurance and could be a valuable addition to athletes’ diets.

The best way to benefit from cocoa

Whilst cocoa is found in most chocolate, chocolate bars aren’t the best way to gain its benefits as most commercial bars have a low cocoa content and a large amount of added sugar and other not-so-natural ingredients.

Thanks to Naturya, experts in nutrient-rich power foods, you can now buy organic, sun-dried cocoa nibs on the high street in Holland and Barrett and other leading health stores. Naturya’s nibs enable you to get the benefits of cocoa in the most natural, pure and effective way possible and cost just £7.99 for 300g. The nibs can be eaten as they are as a healthy snack, added to mueslis or even used in baking to replace chocolate chips.

For further details please visit www.naturya.com