Cocoa and exercise, a popular choice
by
Geraldine Hinter
A
UniSA study that looks at the potential health benefits of combining
regular exercise with daily chocolate consumption should have no
shortage of overweight volunteers eager to be involved.
Current evidence suggests that a naturally occurring chemical, or chemicals known as polyphenols, found in the cocoa bean, an ingredient in most chocolate, when combined with exercise, may improve the elasticity of blood vessels and other risk factors for heart disease.
PhD health sciences student Kade Davison also hopes that drinking cocoa daily will improve the fat burning effects of exercise.
The study follows previous UniSA research, which shows that Omega-3 in fish oil, when combined with exercise, may provide significantly greater benefits in the fight against obesity than exercise or nutrients alone.
“The nutrients in these studies appear to enhance mechanisms involved in oxidising or burning of fat, but they need a driver (in our case, exercise) to increase the metabolic rate in order to lower body fat,” Davison said.
He believes that combining cocoa with exercise can work in the same way to lower body fat.
Starting this month, volunteers aged between 18-65 years, who are overweight but otherwise healthy and not on treatment for blood lipids or blood pressure, will participate in the study to improve their body shape and heart health.
As part of the study, participants have to exercise for 45 minutes three times per week and drink cocoa twice-daily for 12 weeks. In addition, participants will need to attend the clinic at UniSA's City East campus for testing at the beginning, middle and end of the trial.
“During these visits we will perform an exercise test and a number of non-invasive tests of cardiovascular function and body composition,” Davison said.
“We are expecting to see an increase in fitness, reduced body fat and lower heart disease risk factors in all subjects and an even greater change in those consuming a cocoa drink with a high polyphenol concentration.”
The cocoa trial is one of three studies being undertaken at the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, a joint initiative of UniSA and the University of Adelaide.
The Nutritional Physiology Research Centre's leader Professor Peter Howe will be presenting a lecture, as part of the Body of Knowledge public lecture series, on Wednesday July 27 at the Mutual Community Lecture Theatre, Basil Hetzel building, City East campus.
For more information about the lecture visit www.unisa.edu.au/hsc/bok
Anyone interested in joining the cocoa study should contact (08) 8302 1817 or
kade.davison@unisa.edu.au