Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT06073327 |
| Other study ID # |
Padova_Soccer |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
N/A
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
May 3, 2023 |
| Est. completion date |
May 3, 2023 |
Study information
| Verified date |
May 2022 |
| Source |
University of Padova |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
The goal of this interventional study was to investigate the impact of daily ingestion of 30g
of dark chocolate on omega-3 fatty acid status and gut microbial community in professional
soccer players.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Can 30g of dark chocolate positively influence the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acid
(PUFAs) and, particularly, arachidonic acid (AA): eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio? Can 30g
of dark chocolate change the microbial composition in professional soccer players? Elite male
soccer players were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group was provided with 30g of dark
chocolate 88% (2,5 mg/g of polyphenol) and one group, as control, was provided with with 30g
of white chocolate (0 mg/g of polyphenol). Each group ingested the chocolate intervention as
a "solid bar" in the morning (before 9:00 am) every day for 4 weeks. The dark chocolate and
white chocolate were provided every morning to each subject by the nutritionist of each team,
while, during off days, the chocolate was portioned into individual serving sizes and
provided to each player. Adherence was checked by the nutritionist.
For each assessment, the participants arrived at the training center in the morning, after an
overnight fast. Before the beginning and the end of the study, a 3-days food record (3dr) was
recorded (2 weekdays and 1 week-end day) by the nutritionist. Blood was collected between
08:00 and 09:00 hours, fecal sample was delivered within the end of the morning, and
anthropometry measures were determined.
Description:
This study was conducted in May 2022. Elite male soccer players (n=38) were randomly divided
into two groups. The dark chocolate group (DC N=19) was provided with 30g of dark chocolate
88% (Novi Nero Nero 88% cacao, Elah Dufour S.p.A., Strada Serravalle 73, Novi Ligure) (2,5
mg/g of polyphenol). The white chocolate group (WC n=19) was provided with 30g of white
chocolate. (Bianco Novi, Elah Dufour S.p.A., Strada Serravalle 73, Novi Ligure) (0 mg/g of
polyphenol). Each group ingested the chocolate intervention as a "solid bar" in the morning
(before 9:00 am) every day for 4 weeks. The participants were instructed to refrain from
consuming chocolate or flavanol-containing products (i.e., blueberry, strawberry, blackberry,
green tea, red wine, and pomegranate juice), starting from 3 days before the beginning of the
study and throughout the intervention period. The dark chocolate and white chocolate were
provided every morning to each subject by the nutritionist of each team, while, during off
days, the chocolate was portioned into individual serving sizes and provided to each player.
Adherence was checked by the nutritionist.
For each assessment, participants arrived at the training center in the morning, after an
overnight fast. Before the beginning and the end of the study, a 3-days food record (3DR) was
recorded (2 weekdays and 1 week-end day) by the nutritionist, blood was collected between
08:00 and 09:00 hours, fecal sample was delivered within the end of the morning, and
anthropometry measures were determined. Briefly, for stool samples, athletes were asked to
collect their fecal material (single defecation) in a plastic vial and place the vial in a
labelled box. The nutritionist and/or the doctor of each team immediately collected the fresh
stool samples and delivered them within 72h to the research hub facility (University of
Padova, Department of Biomedical Science).
