{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T23:08:11Z","timestamp":1761174491007,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761091200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: To investigate the effects of dark chocolate milk on physiological variables such as heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), fatigue index and power output during an anaerobic sprint test. Methods: Twenty healthy participants underwent a randomised single-blinded experimental design and completed two trials\u2014DC and iso-caloric white chocolate (WC) (used as a flavonoid-free control). Participants completed a running anaerobic sprint test (RAST, 35 m \u00d7 6 sprints \u00d7 2 sets, 4 min rest) with RPE and HR recorded after 2nd, 4th and 6th sprints. Results: Descriptive statistics of participants were for males: age: 23.8 \u00b1 1.21 yrs; height: 174.51 \u00b1 5.78 cm; weight: 73.91 \u00b1 9.18 kg; body mass index (BMI): 24.18 \u00b1 2.21 kg\u00b7m\u22122; body fat percent (BF%): 19.18 \u00b1 6.17%; lean muscle mass percentage: 77.95 \u00b1 6.16%; females: age: 26.33 \u00b1 4.95 yrs; height: 160.69 \u00b1 5.52 cm; weight: 55.72 \u00b1 7.03 kg; BMI: 21.51 \u00b1 2.02 kg\u00b7m\u22122; BF%: 27.24 \u00b1 3.74%; lean muscle mass percentage: 69.20 \u00b1 3.70%. A paired t-test revealed significant differences between trials for 2nd RAST average timings (DC 2nd RAST: 6.43 \u00b1 0.97 s vs. WC 2nd RAST: 6.62 \u00b1 1.05 s, p = 0.012); 2nd RAST total effort time (DC 2nd RAST: 38.58 \u00b1 5.82 s vs. WC 2nd RAST: 39.72 \u00b1 6.28 s, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Results indicated that DC supplementation significantly improved anaerobic sprint timings. Athletes, sports practitioners and coaches may consider implementing DC prior to training workouts and competitions to enhance sporting performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17213317","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T07:03:51Z","timestamp":1761116631000},"page":"3317","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of Dark Chocolate on Physiological and Anaerobic Performance Among Healthy Female and Male Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6101-2695","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Govindasamy","family":"Balasekaran","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yew Cheo","family":"Ng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Scott","family":"Foong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xin Rui Rachael","family":"Ong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Peggy","family":"Boey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dom\u00ednguez, R., Cuenca, E., Mat\u00e9-Mu\u00f1oz, J.L., Garc\u00eda-Fern\u00e1ndez, P., Serra-Paya, N., Estevan, M.C.L., Herreros, P.V., and Garnacho-Casta\u00f1o, M.V. (2017). Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes. A systematic review. Nutrients, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu9010043"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Knechtle, B., and Nikolaidis, P.T. (2018). Physiology and pathophysiology in ultra-marathon running. Front. Physiol., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2018.00634"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nikolaidis, P.T., Veniamakis, E., Rosemann, T., and Knechtle, B. (2018). Nutrition in ultra-endurance: State of the art. Nutrients, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu10121995"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1123\/ijsnem.2017-0429","article-title":"Athletes and supplements: Prevalence and perspectives","volume":"28","author":"Garthe","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"748","DOI":"10.1249\/01.mss.0001059068.88109.39","article-title":"Effects Of Dark Chocolate On Physiological And Anaerobic Performance On Healthy Females And Males: 2556","volume":"56","author":"Ng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"1240","article-title":"The Effects of Dark Chocolate Supplementation on Rate of Perceived Exertion and Fatigue Index during Anaerobic Sprint Test","volume":"Volume 1","author":"Guilhem","year":"2023","journal-title":"28th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"40","article-title":"Effects Of Dark Chocolate Supplementation on Performance and other Physiological Measures In Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test","volume":"1","author":"Balasekaran","year":"2023","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1024","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0510168103","article-title":"(\u2013)-Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa on vascular function in humans","volume":"103","author":"Schroeter","year":"2006","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.abb.2008.03.004","article-title":"How do dietary flavanols improve vascular function? A position paper","volume":"476","author":"Schewe","year":"2008","journal-title":"Arch. Biochem. Biophys."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"828","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbrc.2007.05.200","article-title":"(\u2013)-Epicatechin elevates nitric oxide in endothelial cells via inhibition of NADPH oxidase","volume":"359","author":"Steffen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vph.2015.05.011","article-title":"The cardiovascular benefits of dark chocolate","volume":"71","author":"Kerimi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vasc. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5568","DOI":"10.1021\/pr900607v","article-title":"Metabolic effects of dark chocolate consumption on energy, gut microbiota, and stress-related metabolism in free-living subjects","volume":"8","author":"Martin","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Proteome Res."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1016\/j.freeradbiomed.2007.03.002","article-title":"Free radicals and muscle fatigue: Of ROS, canaries, and the IOC","volume":"44","author":"Reid","year":"2008","journal-title":"Free Radic. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.1042\/bst0300280","article-title":"Exercise, free radicals and oxidative stress","volume":"30","author":"Cooper","year":"2002","journal-title":"Biochem. Soc. Trans."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Balasekaran, G., Govindaswamy, V.V., Kay Peggy, B.P., and Cheo, N.Y. (2021). Applied Physiology of Exercise, World Scientific.","DOI":"10.1142\/12174"},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Foss, M.L., and Keteyian, S.J. (1998). Physiological Basis for Exercise and Sport, McGraw-Hill."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fredholm, B.B. (2011). Distribution, biosynthesis and catabolism of methylxanthines in plants. Methylxanthines, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-13443-2"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1161\/01.RES.30.4.367","article-title":"Influence of caffeine and other methylxanthines on mechanical properties of isolated mammalian heart muscle: Evidence for a dual mechanism of action","volume":"30","author":"Blinks","year":"1972","journal-title":"Circ. Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1097\/HJH.0000000000000412","article-title":"Cocoa consumption dose-dependently improves flow-mediated dilation and arterial stiffness decreasing blood pressure in healthy individuals","volume":"33","author":"Grassi","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Hypertens."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6021811","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/6021811","article-title":"Dark chocolate intake may reduce fatigue and mediate cognitive function and gray matter volume in healthy middle-aged adults","volume":"2022","author":"Nemoto","year":"2022","journal-title":"Behav. Neurol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1080\/07315724.2004.10719361","article-title":"Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults","volume":"23","author":"Engler","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vph.2015.02.010","article-title":"Effects of high flavanol dark chocolate on cardiovascular function and platelet aggregation","volume":"71","author":"Rull","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vasc. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Robertson, R.J. (2004). Perceived Exertion for Practitioners: Rating Effort with the OMNI Picture System, Human Kinetics."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"788","DOI":"10.1038\/426788a","article-title":"Milk and absorption of dietary flavanols","volume":"426","author":"Serafini","year":"2003","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1156","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0035-1555935","article-title":"Running-based anaerobic sprint test as a procedure to evaluate anaerobic power","volume":"36","author":"Andrade","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.46827\/ejpe.v8i4.4327","article-title":"Validity and reliability study of the running-based anaerobic sprint test for evaluating anaerobic power performance as compared to Wingate test in Indian male track and field sprinters","volume":"8","author":"Chatterjee","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur. J. Phys. Educ. Sport Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.5604\/20831862.1198636","article-title":"Effect of between-set recovery durations on repeated sprint ability in young soccer players","volume":"33","author":"Selmi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biol. Sport"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1820","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0b013e3181b3df32","article-title":"Validity of the running anaerobic sprint test for assessing anaerobic power and predicting short-distance performances","volume":"23","author":"Zagatto","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03193146","article-title":"G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences","volume":"39","author":"Faul","year":"2007","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Balasekaran, G., Govindaswamy, V.V., Kay Peggy, B.P., and Cheo, N.Y. (2021). Applied Physiology of Exercise Laboratory Manual, World Scientific.","DOI":"10.1142\/12175"},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Balasekaran, G., Govindaswamy, V.V., Loh, R.M.K., Ng, Y.C., Thor, D., Boey, P., and Lim, J. (2019). Curricular Guide to Health-Fitness Applications in Physical Education Using the OMNI Perceived Exertion Scale, Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1097\/00005768-200201000-00021","article-title":"Children\u2019s OMNI scale of perceived exertion: Walking\/running evaluation","volume":"34","author":"Utter","year":"2002","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"452","DOI":"10.1097\/00005768-200002000-00029","article-title":"Validation of the Omni Perceived Exertion Scale for Children Using a Mixed Gender\/Race Cohort","volume":"32","author":"Robertson","year":"2000","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sport Exerc."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0000000000003962","article-title":"Potential predictors of vertical jump performance: Lower extremity dimensions and alignment, relative body fat, and kinetic variables","volume":"35","author":"Daugherty","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"P\u00e9rez-L\u00f3pez, A., Sinovas, M.C., \u00c1lvarez-Valverde, I., and Valades, D. (2015). Relationship between body composition and vertical jump performance in young spanish soccer players. J. Sport Hum. Perform., 3."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.2478\/v10078-012-0016-6","article-title":"The relationship between muscle strength, anaerobic performance, agility, sprint ability and vertical jump performance in professional basketball players","volume":"31","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Hum. Kinet."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Baranauskas, M., Jablonskien\u0117, V., Abaravi\u010dius, J.A., Samsonien\u0117, L., and Stukas, R. (2020). Dietary acid-base balance in high-performance athletes. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17155332"},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"Clifford, J., and Maloney, K. (2015). Nutrition for Athletes, Colorado State: University Extension."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103061","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2024.103061","article-title":"Effect of dark chocolate\/cocoa consumption on oxidative stress and inflammation in adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of controlled trials","volume":"84","author":"Behzadi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Complement. Ther. Med."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102240","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2019.102240","article-title":"The effect of cocoa consumption on markers of oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies","volume":"48","author":"Mehrabani","year":"2020","journal-title":"Complement. Ther. Med."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/17\/21\/3317\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T07:10:11Z","timestamp":1761117011000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/17\/21\/3317"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"21","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["nu17213317"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu17213317","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]]}}}