Good news for chocolate lovers:a chunk of about five grams of chocolate per day improves sports performance.
Scientists from the University of California have published a study in The Journal of Physiology about the effect of chocolate consumption on sports performance † To measure this combination, a number of mice were subjected to a running test.
On the treadmill
The test spot is easy to guess:the treadmill. A group of somewhat older, inactive mice was given the main ingredient of cocoa (flavonoid epicatechin). The other half a placebo. Both groups of animals were daily in the treadmill put. They didn't have to be top fit. They did have to get moving again.
And sure enough, the chocolate mice whitening after days of training clearly fitter than the placebo group; they lasted no less than twice as long on the treadmill.
Gram
Before you start eating kilos of dark chocolate, a side note from the researchers. A small daily amount is sufficient to improve sports performance, such as about five grams per day. That's just half a chunk † Unfortunately, larger chunks nullify the effect…
