Many people love chocolate, including bodybuilders. Today's article will tell you if this product is good for bodybuilders. Many bodybuilders are interested in learning how dark chocolate affects the body. Is it useful or not? And the answer, it turns out, is simple - certainly useful. But first things first. It should be said right away that with fatigue and overwork, chocolate will become not only a delicious delicacy, but also raise the general mood.
Useful properties of chocolate
Due to the presence of sugar and fats in chocolate, the body increases the content of two main neurotransmitters: ephedrine and serotonin. It has been found that low levels of these substances cause feelings of depression and anxiety. When there are enough of these substances in the body, then a person begins to feel good.
Also, when eating chocolate, a person actually heals himself. Scientists have conducted research trying to find the relationship between the presence of healthy fats in the body and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
As a result of these experiments, it was proved that the stearic acid contained in chocolate has no effect on cholesterol levels. This made it possible to remove this product from the list of potentially hazardous to the heart. Thus, even if a bar of chocolate is eaten, the body will not be harmed, but only the mood will increase. Cholesterol levels will also remain at the same level.
Chocolate contains a huge amount of antioxidants, including flavonol and flavonoid. It has been experimentally established that these substances have cardioprotective properties. Thanks to them, the viscosity of the blood decreases, the walls of the vessels expand, which significantly improves blood flow. In addition, antioxidants help maintain normal blood pressure. If we talk about antioxidants, then most of them are found in cocoa powder, which in general turned out to be one of the most valuable products due to its lack of sugar and low calorie content. But behind him is just dark and bitter chocolate. Dark contains the largest amount of flavonol, twice as high as milk.
Chocolate and sports
A special study on the amount of antioxidants in various foods was conducted by Dr. Jung Lee. For the experiment, he chose cocoa powder, green and black tea, and red wine. As a result, cocoa powder unconditionally took the first place, beating the "silver medalist" - red wine more than twice. Black tea contains the least antioxidants.
The effect on the athlete's body of flavonoids, which dark chocolate contains, was also investigated. For the experiment, more than 20 people were involved, who consumed one bar of the product daily for two weeks. Then, for two weeks, the athletes participating in the experiment adhered to their usual diet, excluding only vitamin and mineral supplements and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from the diet.
As a result, it was proved that under the influence of flavonoids, blood flow significantly improved. It is also worth noting that chocolate is also useful for losing weight, due to the presence of a large amount of proanthocyanids.
Is chocolate harmful
Based on all the studies, it is safe to say that there will only be benefits for the body from eating chocolate. But it should be remembered that the product contains a lot of fat and sugar. In addition to it, fish, nuts, seeds and other foods are also sources of antioxidants.
It is also worth remembering about cocoa, which is practically free of fat and sugar. But if you happen to be a chocolate lover, then you should not deny yourself the pleasure.
Video about the benefits and dangers of chocolate:
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