Cocoa supplementation enhances the effect of exercise on IL-6 levels promoting a decrease in visceral adipose tissue

Abstract

Cocoa is a functional food with a high content of polyphenols, compounds that participate in the cytokine regulation pathways. Different studies support the action of skeletal muscle as a secretory organ during physical exercise, recently describing that a physical exercise bout is characterized by the production of interleukin 6 (IL-6), which promotes the benefits of exercise, such as loss of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). The hypothesis of our study is that chronic cocoa consumption could increase the level of systemic IL-6, which promotes a decrease in VAT.