The Effects of Epicatechin on Health and Sports Performance
Have you ever heard of epicatechin? If you are like most people, you haven’t, but we are sure that you’ve consumed it! In this article, we will talk about the effects of epicatechin on your body. Not to mention how satisfying it is to eat.
What is epicatechin?
Unless you’re an experienced athlete, you’ve probably never heard of this compound. It’s a bioactive compound that some edible plants carry. It has great qualities for our health but most importantly, the effects of epicatechin are especially beneficial for athletes.
How to take epicatechin?
Taking epicatechin is quite simple and natural. And so, here are a few ways to consume epicatechin in your daily diet.
- Dietary supplements. Supplements are becoming increasingly common in society as a healthy way to maintain your body. Therefore, you can easily find them at any health store. However, it’s important to follow the dosage instructions and to not overuse them.
- Green tea. One of the most common ways people take epicatechin is through green tea infusion. This way, you can ingest them at breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between meals. We recommend you drink it with stevia instead of sugar.
- Chocolate. Chocolate contains a higher concentration of epicatechin than green tea. Try to eat the purest forms of chocolate since this will have more concentration of this health compound. You can have chocolate in breakfast, desserts, drink it and take a bite out of it! There are countless ways of enjoying this healthy snack.
Effects of epicatechin on sports performance
Those who practice sports can take advantage of this compound, and especially those who want increase muscle mass. Here are some of the main effects of epicatechin on sports performance:
- Increase in muscle mass. The main goal of supplementing this food is to grow muscle mass. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s a magic potion or that you won’t have to work as hard. Epicatechin simply boosts the already existing results of the training.
- Higher resistance. Thanks to its nitric oxide, the effects of epicatechin on blood oxygenation are outstanding. With more oxygen in the blood, fatigue reduces, giving athletes more endurance during the exercise.
- More protein absorption. One of the other positive effects of epicatechin is its ability to improve protein absorption. Thus, consuming it regularly will help your body absorb more protein and your training will be more efficient.
Health benefits of epicatechin
Epicatechin is highly recommended for everyone, not just athletes. Here are some of the positive effects of epicatechin on overall health:
- Reduces cholesterol. Regularly consuming epicatechin will help your body balance the levels of cholesterol in the blood. However, make sure that you consult your doctor if your cholesterol levels are above normal.
- Improves memory retention. With just one ounce of dark chocolate a day you can prevent memory loss. Hence the reason why dark chocolate is usually recommended for older people.
Now that you know the great effects of epicatechin and how easy it is to include in your diet, make sure you do. You will be able to reap the benefits of this miracle compound even if you are not a professional athlete.