DARK CHOCOLATE MAY increase endurance and promote muscle performance, according to the results of a new study.

A natural substance found in dark chocolate – epicatechin – was shown to induce changes in the muscles of mice that were comparable to the effects of regular exercise, in a study by researchers from the University of California.

It is already known that muscle endurance can be greatly enhanced by regular exercise, however the researchers were keen to investigate whether if a naturally occurring chemical could mimic this. If this happened in human beings, epicatechin may be used to reduce the muscle fatigue and wasting effects associated with aging, reports the NHS.

Epicatechin was chosen to be studied because recent research showed that the substance is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in adults.

The study involved 25 one-year-old mice; researchers studied the differences in performance between mice that has been fed different substances, and found the group that had been receiving epicatechin subsequently performed significantly better in endurance tests.

The study has not yet been replicated on humans to monitor whether the effects would be similar – so, unfortunately, it can’t quite be said that eating chocolate is as good for you as exercise. But we’re keeping our fingers crossed…

The research has been published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Journal of Physiology.