Impact of cocoa flavanol consumption on blood pressure responsiveness to exercise

Impaired endothelial vasodilatation may contribute to the exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses to exercise in individuals who are overweight/obese. The present study investigated whether consumption of cocoa flavanols, which improve endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), can modify BP responsiveness to exercise. Twenty-one volunteers (eight females and thirteen males, 54-9 (SE 2.2) years, BMI 31.6 (SE 0.8)kg/m(2), systolic BP 134 (SE 2)mmHg, diastolic BP (DBP) 87 (SE 2)mmHg) were randomised to consume single servings of either a high-flavanol (HF, 701 mg) or a low-flavanol (LF, 22 mg) cocoa beverage in a double-blind, cross-over design with 3-7-d washout between treatments. Two hours after cocoa consumption. FMD was measured, followed by continuous beat-to-beat assessment (Finapres (TM)) of BP before and during 10 min of cycling at 75% of age-predicted maximum heart rate. Averaged data from two assessments on each type of beverage were compared by analysis of covariance using pre-exercise BP as the covariate. Pre-exercise BP was similar after taking LF and HF (153 (SE 3)/88 (SE 3) v. 153 (SE 4)/87 (SE 2)mmHg, respectively, P>0.05). However, the BP response to exercise (area under BP curve) was attenuated by HF compared with LF. BP increases were 68% lower for DBP (P=0.03) and 14% lower for mean BP (P=0.05). FMD measurements were higher after taking HF than after taking LF (6.1 (SE 0.6) % v. 3.4 (SE 0.5) %, P<0.001). By facilitating vasodilation and attenuating exercise-induced increases in BP, cocoa flavanols may decrease cardiovascular risk and enhance the cardiovascular benefits of moderate intensity exercise in at-risk individuals.