Key result
Consuming a dark chocolate with lemon bar significantly decreased precompetitive state anxiety and systolic blood pressure (p<0.05) and increased time to exhaustion (+22%, d=0.5) compared to placebo.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to assess the acute effect of consuming a dark chocolate with lemon bar on emotional state, the vegetative nervous system, and strength performance.
Does dark chocolate with lemon improve emotional state, vegetative nervous system responses, and strength performance in trained male cyclists and trail runners?
RCT (n=11)
random order
Does dark chocolate with lemon improve emotional state, vegetative nervous system responses, and strength performance in trained male cyclists and trail runners?
Consumption of dark chocolate with lemon may decrease precompetitive anxiety and improve strength endurance in trained athletes.
May support precompetition use in endurance athletes to ease anxiety and prolong effort; extends RCT evidence on flavanol-rich foods for performance.
The aim of this research is to assess the acute effect of consuming a dark chocolate with lemon (DCL) bar on the emotional state, the vegetative nervous system, and strength performance. This protocol was carried out by eleven male trained cyclists and trail runners (age: 27 ± 12 years old), who tested, in random order, either DCL bar containing flavonoids or a white chocolate bar (placebo) before a simulated competition of knee extension force. Their precompetitive state anxiety (SA), blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalography (EEG) responses were measured before and after eating the bars. The maximal voluntary force (MVC) of the knee extensor and the time to exhaustion (TTE) at 20% of MVC were recorded 2 h after eating the bars. Compared to placebo, DCL decreases significantly ( p < 0.05) the SA and the systolic blood pressure. An increase of α and a decrease of β waves with a moderate effect size (d = 0.7) were found in the prefrontal cortex, whereas no significant change was observed for HRV and MVC. However, an increase (+22%) of TTE with a moderate effect size (d = 0.5) was found. These findings suggest the potential role of flavonoids to decrease precompetitive anxiety as a complementary routine to improve strength performance.
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Scholler et al. (2021) conducted an RCT in Healthy trained athletes (n=11). Dark chocolate with lemon (DCL) bar vs. White chocolate bar (placebo) was evaluated on State anxiety, blood pressure, HRV, EEG responses, maximal voluntary force (MVC), and time to exhaustion (TTE) (d = 0.5, p=< 0.05). Consuming a dark chocolate with lemon bar significantly decreased precompetitive state anxiety and systolic blood pressure (p<0.05) and increased time to exhaustion (+22%, d=0.5) compared to placebo.
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