BENEFITS
Before physical activity:
A study published in the National Library of Medicine (NIH) found that patients who consumed 20g of dark chocolate per day during 3 months improved their efficiency in oxygen used on a celular level, increasing their maximum Vo2 by 17%. This is due to the flavanols from Cacao. [1]
It has been established that Cacao with high levels of flavanols acts as a vasodilator, improving blood flow and reducing arterial pressure. This sets the body in a favorable state that could improve an athletes performance. [2]
After physical activity:
Running and performing other contact or resistance physical activities cause muscle and joint inflammation.
Eating chocolate before or after physical activity helps reduce the inflammation and the pain associated with it, therefore helping the body heal and having better recovery. The flavanols in Cacao estimulate the recovery and anti inflammation of tissues according to the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center in California. [3]
Cognitive and mental benefits:
According to a group of studies from Pubmed.gov, at least 5 out of 8 studies performed to study the effects of Cacao in the state of mind and the cognitive state of humans found positive results. The results confirm that Cacao has the capacity of improving the state of mind or at least relieve a negative state. 3 out of the 8 subjects showed cognitive improvements in the brain, increasing the ability to concentrate and retain information due to the presence of different types of flavanols that are found in the Cacao bean. [4]
Sources:
[1] Taub, P. R., Ramirez-Sanchez, I., Patel, M., Higginbotham, E., Moreno-Ulloa, A., Román-Pintos, L. M., Phillips, P., Perkins, G., Ceballos, G., & Villarreal, F. (2016). Beneficial effects of dark chocolate on exercise capacity in sedentary subjects: underlying mechanisms.
[2] Fisher, N. D., Hughes, M., Gerhard-Herman, M., & Hollenberg, N. K. (2003). Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans. Journal of hypertension,
[3]Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. (2018, April 24). Dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation: Data represent first human trials examining the impact of dark chocolate consumption on cognition and other brain functions. ScienceDaily.
[4]Scholey, A., & Owen, L. (2013). Effects of chocolate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review. Nutrition reviews