Clinical Study

Dark Chocolate Intake Positively Modulates Redox Status and Markers of Muscular Damage in Elite Football Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study

Table 3

Baseline characteristics of elite football players before treatment.

No dark chocolate ()Dark chocolate ()

Age (years)17.0 ± 0.917.4 ± 0.50.859
Gender (male/female)10/010/01
WBC (×103 ml)5.0 ± 1.36.2 ± 1.10.983
PLT (×103 ml)226.6 ± 55.4230.0 ± 12.80.580
RBC (×106 ml)5.3 ± 0.35.5 ± 0.30.950
LDL (mg/dl)82.9 ± 18.384.3 ± 22.20.566
Glycaemia (mg/dl)84.0 ± 11.283.1 ± 19.10.448
LDH (U/l)389.7 ± 59.9384.2 ± 42.20.398
CK (U/l)363 ± 21.83341.1 ± 20.130.880
Myoglobin (ng/ml)97.4 ± 40.8105.8 ± 41.90.579
hs-PCR (mg/l)0.6 ± 0.40.7 ± 0.60.759
sNox2-dp (pg/ml)18.9 ± 7.019.5 ± 6.70.844
H2O2 (μM)38.7 ± 10.137.7 ± 6.60.746
HBA (%)37.8 ± 27.834.9 ± 29.80.775

WBC: white blood cells; PLT: platelet; RBC: red blood cells; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; CK: creatine kinase; HBA: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) breakdown activity.