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A single intake of flavanol-rich cocoa improves inhibitory executive process under cognitive fatigue during aerobic exercise in men: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial.

  • 2025-06-10
  • Psychopharmacology 242(12)
    • Hayato Tsukamoto
    • Sota Yoneya
    • Takahiro Koyama
    • Asuka Suzuki
    • I Wayan Yuuki
    • Kento Dora
    • Takeshi Hashimoto

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
18 healthy males (22±2 years)
Methods
randomized crossover study; double-blinded capsules (LCF 50 mg and HCF 500 mg) consumed 1 h before a 50-min cognitive exercise dual-tasking protocol including a color-word Stroop task and moderate-intensity cycling
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
50 minutes
Funding
Unclear

Rationale

Although cognitive fatigue commonly occurs during sports, effective strategies to improve it during exercise have not been established.

Objectives

This study determined whether high-cocoa flavanol (HCF) consumption improves reaction time and inhibitory executive function impairments during prolonged cognitive load combined with aerobic exercise.

Methods

In this randomized crossover study, 18 healthy males (22 ± 2 years) participated in both low-cocoa flavanol (LCF) and HCF trials. Double-blinded capsules (LCF 50 mg and HCF 500 mg) were consumed 1 h before a 50-min cognitive exercise dual-tasking protocol, which included a color-word Stroop task (CWST) and moderate-intensity cycling. The CWST assessed reaction time and reverse-Stroop interference score as indicators of inhibitory executive process.

Results

Reaction time (LCF 774 ± 146 ms vs. HCF 731 ± 101 ms, P < 0.01) and reverse-Stroop interference score (LCF 6.2 [3.2-15.5] vs. HCF 4.6 [1.2-11.4], P < 0.01) were significantly better 1 h after HCF consumption than after LCF consumption, indicating that HCF improved both reaction time and the inhibitory executive process at rest. During the 50-min cognitive-exercise dual-tasking protocol, HCF consumption resulted in faster reaction time (LCF 712 ± 122 ms vs. HCF 685 ± 111 ms, P < 0.05) and better inhibitory executive process (LCF 8.4 ± 5.0 vs. HCF 6.6 ± 3.5, P < 0.05) compared to those following LCF consumption.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that flavanol-rich cocoa may improve reaction time and inhibitory executive process impaired by cognitive fatigue during aerobic exercise.

Research Insights

  • Cocoa→Improved Inhibitory Executive Process

    During the 50-min cognitive-exercise dual-tasking protocol, HCF consumption resulted in faster reaction time (LCF 712±122 ms vs. HCF 685±111 ms, P<0.05) and better inhibitory executive process (LCF 8.4±5.0 vs. HCF 6.6±3.5, P<0.05) compared to those following LCF consumption.

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    500 mg
  • Cocoa→Improved Reaction Time

    During the 50-min cognitive-exercise dual-tasking protocol, HCF consumption resulted in faster reaction time (LCF 712±122 ms vs. HCF 685±111 ms, P<0.05) and better inhibitory executive process (LCF 8.4±5.0 vs. HCF 6.6±3.5, P<0.05) compared to those following LCF consumption.

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    500 mg
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