Cocoa flavanols and exercise performance across 13 studies in people
What it found
Cocoa flavanols lowered exercise-related oxidative stress and changed how the body used fat and carbs during workouts in people.
They did not improve athletic performance.
What they found
Studies in people
Oxidative stress during exercise
Taking cocoa flavanols for a single dose, for two weeks, or for three months all lowered oxidative stress caused by exercise in people.
Blood pressure in obese participants
A single dose of cocoa flavanols reduced and softened the rise in blood pressure that normally happens during exercise in obese people.
Fat and carb use
A single dose or two weeks of cocoa flavanols changed how the body burned fat and carbohydrates during exercise in people.
Athletic performance
A single dose or two weeks of cocoa flavanols did not give athletes a performance boost. But three months of intake improved energy production in cells of untrained people.
Inflammation and clotting
Very few studies looked at whether cocoa flavanols affected exercise-related inflammation or platelet activation in people.
What the authors conclude
- They say cocoa flavanols may help blood vessels work better, lower oxidative stress from exercise, and change how the body uses fat and carbs.
- They note these changes happen without improving actual exercise performance.
- They call for more research on what happens when people combine long-term cocoa flavanol intake with regular exercise training.
How it was done
Cocoa flavanols can fight oxidation, lower inflammation, and help blood vessels work better. Researchers wanted to know if taking them could also boost exercise performance and recovery.
The authors searched two databases for human studies combining cocoa flavanols with exercise up to March 2017. They found 13 studies that listed the exact amount of flavanols used. They checked each study for quality and bias using a standard checklist.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These studies followed people over short periods, so they cannot show what happens over many years.
- Combining cocoa flavanols with exercise training might have extra benefits, but scientists do not yet know because too few studies measured this.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium; University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; University of Lille, France
The paper
- Title
- Cocoa Flavanol Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review
- Type
- Systematic review
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Decroix L, Soares DD, Meeusen R, Heyman E, Tonoli C (2018). Cocoa Flavanol Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0849-1PubMed 29299877DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error