Chronic Consumption of Cocoa Rich in Procyanidins Has a Marginal Impact on Gut Microbiota and on Serum and Fecal Metabolomes in Male Endurance Athletes

Abstract

Cocoa is used in the sports world as a supplement, although there is no consensus on its use. We investigated the effect of cocoa intake on intestinal ischemia (intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP)), serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, gastrointestinal symptoms, and gut microbiota in endurance athletes during their training period on an unrestricted diet. We also performed a metabolomics analysis of serum and feces after a bout of exercise before and after supplementation. Cocoa consumption had no effect on I-FABP, LPS, or gastrointestinal symptoms. Cocoa intake significantly increased the abundance of <i>Blautia</i> and <i>Lachnospira</i> genera and decreased the abundance of the <i>Agathobacter</i> genus, which was accompanied by elevated levels of polyphenol fecal metabolites 4-hydroxy-5-(phenyl)-valeric acid and O-methyl-epicatechin-<i>O</i>-glucuronide. Our untargeted approach revealed that cocoa had no significant effects on serum and fecal metabolites and that its consumption had little impact on the metabolome after a bout of physical exercise.