The Effects of Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao) on EEG Brain Waves in Vigorously Active Individuals

The purpose of this graduate student study is to determine if ingestion of dark chocolate (70% cacao) will change brain frequencies between visualization at a state of rest and a state of exercise performance via electroencephalography (EEG) in vigorously active individuals.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: dark chocolate; Other: non dark chocolate

Detailed Description

The procedures include: On day one, participants will fill out a dark chocolate Likert scale, physical activity assessment, and demographic questionnaire. Day two and three, on consecutive days will include, three EEG measurements will be recorded: 1) at baseline, 2) during visualization of rest for one minute, and 3) during visualization of usual vigorous exercise for one minute. The second day all three measurements will be recorded without dark chocolate (70% cacao). The third day all three measurements will be recorded again. Measurements 2 and 3 will be recorded savoring dark chocolate and after fully ingesting the dark chocolate respectively.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Loma Linda, California, United States, 92354
      • Loma Linda U

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 21-45 years of age
• vigorously active individuals, based on the General Physical Activities defined by Level of Intensity guidelines, greater than 75 minutes per week
• enjoy dark chocolate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Caffeine, sedatives, or tranquilizers within 12 hours of study
• Creatine or other performance enhancing steroid supplementation within 24 hours of study
• Ginseng supplementation within 24 hours of study
• Barbiturates within at least 36 hours of study
• Currently taking antiepileptic medications
• Any allergies, colds or sinus infections day of the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: dark chocolate; Three EEG measurements will be recorded: 1) at baseline, 2) during visualization of rest for one minute, and 3) during visualization of usual vigorous exercise for one minute. Measurements 2 and 3 will be recorded savoring dark chocolate and after fully ingesting the dark chocolate respectively.	Dietary supplement: dark chocolate; Participants will be provided Parliament dark chocolate (70% cocoa) from Redlands, CA. The Parliament chocolate is made with cacao and cane sugar. Each participant will be given half a piece (1.4 g) of dark chocolate to consume for this experiment over three minutes.
Active Comparator: non dark chocolate; three EEG measurements will be recorded: 1) at baseline, 2) during visualization of rest for one minute, and 3) during visualization of usual vigorous exercise for one minute.	Other: non dark chocolate; No dark chocolate will be given to this group during the procedures.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
EEG Wave Band Activity without dark chocolate ingestion	The EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects abnormalities in the brain waves or the electrical activity of the brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto the scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity in the brain cells. EEG wave band activity will be recorded from 9 cerebral cortical scalp locations: F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 using the EEG B-Alert 10X System, Carlsbad CA. Each of the brain frequencies will be measured in 5 second increments. Data collection will last no longer than 2 hours for each session.	change from baseline to during visualization of rest for one minute
EEG Wave Band Activity without dark chocolate ingestion	The EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects abnormalities in the brain waves or the electrical activity of the brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto the scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity in the brain cells. EEG wave band activity will be recorded from 9 cerebral cortical scalp locations: F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 using the EEG B-Alert 10X System, Carlsbad CA. Each of the brain frequencies will be measured in 5 second increments. Data collection will last no longer than 2 hours for each session.	change from visualization of rest for one minute and during visualization of usual vigorous exercise for one minute.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
EEG wave band activity with dark chocolate ingestion	The EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects abnormalities in the brain waves or the electrical activity of the brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto the scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity in the brain cells. EEG wave band activity will be recorded from 9 cerebral cortical scalp locations: F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 using the EEG B-Alert 10X System, Carlsbad CA. Each of the brain frequencies will be measured in 5 second increments. Data collection will last no longer than 2 hours for each session.	change from baseline to during visualization of rest for one minute
EEG wave band activity with dark chocolate ingestion	The EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects abnormalities in the brain waves or the electrical activity of the brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto the scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity in the brain cells. EEG wave band activity will be recorded from 9 cerebral cortical scalp locations: F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 using the EEG B-Alert 10X System, Carlsbad CA. Each of the brain frequencies will be measured in 5 second increments. Data collection will last no longer than 2 hours for each session.	change from visualization of rest for one minute and during visualization of usual vigorous exercise for one minute.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Loma Linda University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Georgia Hodgkin, EdD, Loma Linda University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 5, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 26, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 27, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): June 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 25, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 20, 2018
• Last Verified: June 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 5170184

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No