Role of Flavanols in Exercise and Aging

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Aging

In brief

It has well known that diets rich in fruits, vegetables and cocoa products are associated with positive health benefits and these positive effects have been shown to be due to compounds they contain called flavanols. Flavanols have been shown to exert their positive effects by indirectly increasing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. NO is a potent vasodilator that is believed to play a role in increasing blood flow to active muscle during exercise. This regulatory process is impaired with healthy aging. The underlying premise to this study is that if NO bioavailability can be increased following flavanol ingestion, will there be a restoration of blood flow during exercise in older individuals? Accordingly, the first part of this research project will compare the acute vascular effects of flavanol ingestion between a young and old group. The investigators have hypothesized that both groups will show an improvement in blood flow to active muscle during exercise, though the magnitude of the change will be greater in the older group. The second part of this project will look at the effects of 4 weeks of daily flavanol ingestion in the old group. The investigators hypothesize that subjects will demonstrate an improvement in blood flow to active muscle during exercise after the 4 week intervention and that the magnitude of the change will be greater than the acute effects. Findings from this proposal will provide evidence for the efficacy of flavanols to be used (as a simple and safe lifestyle intervention) to reverse or combat impaired blood flow regulation in older individuals.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01557738

Run by

University of Texas at Austin

People needed

20

Starts

2012-12-01

Expected to finish

2014-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2014-06-25

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Males and Females between 18 - 30 years old
• Males and Females between 60 - 80 years old

You may not qualify if…

• cardiovascular and/or microvascular disease
• blood clotting disorder
• pregnant lady
• current smoker (or regularly smoked within last year)
• a history of an adverse reaction to cold
• taking medications known to effect the autonomic nervous system

Where it is running

• University of Texas at Austin: Environmental and Autonomic Physiology Laboratory — Austin, Texas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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