Seems like an odd combination of topics I know, but it will all make sense! As many are aware, prolonged sitting is a negative to health. It’s even been called “the new smoking” as some studies suggests it’s worse for us than smoking! I don’t personally believe that, but point being, prolonged sitting is not a health promoting activity for the human body for various reasons. Me personally, I have an adjustable desk that allows me to quickly raise and lower it, so I can go back and forth between periods standing and sitting, and I highly recommend investing in such a desk, as well as a good quality ergonomic chair if you’re stuck at a desk for extended periods. Studies find extended sitting increases rates obesity and diabetes as well as the risk of sarcopenia and vascular diseases. Not surprisingly, studies find extended sitting can cause neck, lower back, and shoulder pain. But what if you’re fit? While being fit and getting regular exercise goes a long way toward countering the negative effects of extended sitting, it does not eliminate the negatives of sitting. That’s where this latest study on cocoa comes in.
One of the obvious negatives of extended sitting is the effects on our vascular system. Cocoa, and the flavanols found in cocoa, have been associated with benefits to our vascular system in many studies, and offer different mechanisms how they protect us from disease and support heart and vascular health, such as improved blood flow, and others. Researchers wanted to test the effects of cocoa derived flavanols on two groups, one that was fit and the other was sedentary, and how cocoa flavanols impacted vascular function the participants’ arms and legs using a test called Flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Interestingly, those who were fit still experienced a negative effect of sitting on vascular function (so being fit didn’t appear to confer benefits there) yet both fit and sedentary groups suffered no reductions in vascular function if given cocoa flavanols. I told you it would all make sense if you stuff with me! For those who want to dive into the details, the study is below. While more data is needed, those adding Alpha Joe Coffee Booster to their coffee – which contains 3g of high quality unprocessed cocoa without added sugars – have another possible benefit to enjoy.
“Dietary flavanols preserve upper- and lower-limb endothelial function during sitting in high- and low-fit young healthy males” J.of.Phys, 29 October 2025.
Key points
- Prolonged sitting temporarily impairs vascular function and blood pressure. Dietary strategies during sitting may ameliorate or aggravate the effects of sitting on vascular health.
- In this study, dietary cocoa flavanols consumed just before 2 h of uninterrupted sitting were effective at preventing sitting-induced reductions in vascular function in both the brachial and femoral arteries (as measured by flow-mediated dilatation) in young healthy men, with no effects on microvascular function or blood pressure.
- Flavanols were equally effective at preserving vascular function in individuals with high and low cardiorespiratory fitness during sitting.
- Individuals’ high cardiorespiratory fitness did not protect against declines in vascular function and blood pressure during sitting.
- Consuming high-flavanol foods during sedentary periods may be used alone or in combination with other strategies (e.g. breaking up sitting) to reduce the impact of inactivity on the vascular system.
Abstract
Sedentary behaviour is very prevalent in modern societies, with young adults spending approximately 6 h/day sitting. Sitting induces declines in endothelial function, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nutrition during sitting may be used as a strategy to minimise such effects. This acute randomised, counterbalanced, double-blinded, cross-over, placebo-controlled human study investigated whether intake of dietary flavanols prior to a 2 h sitting bout could preserve upper- and lower-limb endothelial function in high- and low-fit individuals. Forty young healthy males (20 high fit; 20 low-fit) completed a 2 h sitting trial after consuming either a high-flavanol (150 mg (−)-epicatechin) or low-flavanol (<6 mg (−)-epicatechin) cocoa intervention. The primary outcome, superficial femoral artery flow-mediated dilatation (SFA FMD) and secondary outcomes, brachial artery (BA) FMD, resting shear rate, blood flow and blood pressure (BP) were assessed before and after sitting. Medial gastrocnemius microvasculature haemodynamics were assessed before, during and after sitting. Sitting significantly reduced FMD in the SFA and BA and increased diastolic BP in both fitness groups. The high-flavanol intervention prevented FMD declines in both arteries, with no effects on BP. Sitting significantly decreased shear rate and blood flow in both arteries in both fitness groups, with no effects of the flavanol intervention. Sitting further resulted in declines in tissue oxygenation (TOI), detectable within 10 min, and impaired TOI desaturation and speed of reperfusion during hyperaemia 2 h post-sitting, with no effects of flavanols. Flavanol-rich foods may be efficacious at counteracting sitting-induced endothelial dysfunction during prolonged sitting in both high- and low-fit individuals.
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He’s also been published in peer reviewed journals.
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