Muscle & Fitness Australia - Issue 352 - June 2017

104 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017

Fat
Several studies have documented
an inf luence of cocoa on fat and
carbohydrate metabolism, as well
as on appetite. A fairly recent
review of research, conducted at
Queen Margaret University, UK,
concluded that cocoa inf luences
the expression of certain genes
involved in fat production in
the body and that it probably
also inf luences hunger. For
instance, when dark chocolate
was compared to milk chocolate,
it was found that the dark variety
resulted in less hunger. Again, all
of this is consistent with studies
that show desirable effects of NO
on fat metabolism. However, with
chocolate, some of the possible
fat loss effects may be as a result
of its rich mineral content. It is
rarely reported that cocoa is a
concentrated source of several
minerals, including magnesium
(which is often found to be
deficient in people’s diets), copper,
manganese, iron and phosphorus.
Increased phosphorus intake has
recently been shown to decrease
body fat in obese individuals.

Other effects

Now, many astute readers may
already be aware of some of these
benefits but there are some other
fascinating effects of cocoa and
these include...

Cholesterol - HDL

and LDL

When it comes to protecting the
heart and blood vessels from
the damage caused by low HDL
(“good” cholesterol) and high LDL
(“bad” cholesterol), cocoa is hard
to beat. It not only moderates the
oxidation of LDL which is the
process that leads to the narrowing
of blood vessels, it also increases
HDL cholesterol levels. This effect
on HDL is especially important for

the fairly significant proportion

of gym-goers who use anabolic

steroids, as these drugs seem to

have their negative effects on the

heart in large part by decreasing

HDL. Also, probably part of this

effect of keeping blood vessels

clear of blockages is the reason

behind chocolate’s apparent

positive effects on the brain, such

as improving cognitive function.

Protects

major organs

Beyond the effects on the heart

and blood vessels, some research

suggests it may help repair liver

damage caused by poor lifestyle

and being overweight. Believe it

or not, a condition called non-

alcoholic, fatty liver disease

(NAFLD), which is caused by

too much eating and not enough

exercise, now causes more

incidences of liver disease than

the abuse of alcohol. Well, it looks

like dark chocolate can protect the

liver from this condition. Similar

to its protective effect on the

liver, it seems to protect kidney

function too. When compared to

white chocolate (which doesn’t

contain cocoa or polyphenols),

consumption of dark chocolate

resulted in significantly better

measures of kidney function.

And again, as with the effect of

HDL cholesterol on the heart,

steroid-using bros are at higher

risk of liver and kidney disorders,

so again, eating dark chocolate

or some form of cocoa could

be a healthy choice.

Type of cocoa

is crucial!

So cocoa clearly has great potential

to improve performance, recovery

and health but one

of the most

complex

aspects

of cocoa is how it reacts when

combined with different nutrients.

Several studies suggest that if you

consume it with certain foods, the

benefits can be altered. As with the

polyphenols in tea (and possibly

wine and berries, etc), some

studies suggest that when you

consume them with milk or other

proteins or fats, they no longer

deliver the goods, or at least they

are delivered differently. On the

other hand, some studies suggest

benefits to combining them with

milk proteins and this is an active

area of research which is trying to

deliver the maximum benefits of

this superfood.

The problem currently is that

some studies suggesting that it is

the casein from milk which may

deactivate the effects but the

effects of the polyphenols have

also been reported to be reduced

by milk fats. They also bind to

components of whey protein

but the consensus is that this

may be a way to enhance some

of cocoa’s effects. Therefore,

until the science catches up and

shows some definitive benefits,

my best recommendation is that

for the health benefits, you are

probably fine to mix cocoa with

whey protein but you should

avoid casein, soy or fat. For the

performance benefits, use dark

chocolate (minimum 70% Cocoa

• and no, milk chocolate doesn’t
  seem to have these effects) on
  its own or use powdered cocoa
  without any protein or fat. Finally,
  when choosing cocoa, try to go
  with a natural or “non-Dutch-
  processed” or “non-alkalised”
  version and organic varieties
  may also be a better bet.

CHOCOLATE FOR PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH