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Epicatechin can be found primarily from two sources, Cocoa Extract and/or Green Tea. 

Green tea (Camellia Sinensis) is a plant frequently steeped in hot water and drunk as tea. It exerts most of its benefits through water-soluble polyphenols (frequently referred to as catechins) extracted from the leaves, into water, which is then consumed.

_{“Green Tea Catechins,” Examine.com, published on 1 December 2013, last updated on 21 February 2020,https://examine.com/supplements/green-tea-catechins/}

Cocoa extract refers to the bioactive compounds found in cocoa products. These compounds include flavanols, procyanidins and (-)-epicatechin. Though these molecules are not unique to cocoa, cocoa extract contains a particularly high level of (-)-epicatechin, compared to other plant products.

_{“Cocoa Extract,” Examine.com, published on 30 November 2014, last updated on 3 October 2019,https://examine.com/supplements/cocoa-extract/}

Epicatechin has been the subject of several studies that have uncovered a host of physiological benefits, including:

• Enhancing muscle growth and strength naturally via a novel pathway
• Increasing nitric oxide production for improved vascularity, blood flow and endurance
• Improving insulin sensitivity, regulating blood sugar levels and stimulating muscle protein synthesis
• Lowering cholesterol levels due to its natural antioxidant properties
• Improving brain and heart health

Research with epicatechin indicates that it increases levels of follistatin, a special type of protein found in the muscles, which binds to and thereby inhibits the actions of myostatin in the body. In a nutshell, more follistatin equals less myostatin, which in turn means more muscle mass.

A study conducted on males of an average age of 40 showed that approximately 170mg of epicatechin per day, dosed at 2mg per kg of bodyweight, resulted in almost a 50% increase in follistatin and a 16.6% decrease in myostatin, alongside a strength increase of 7%. In a second study, researchers provided participants with 50-200mg of epicatechin a day and were amazed to find that their follistatin levels were 250% higher after just 5 days!

Both research and empirical usage suggests that epicatechin should be dosed at 1-2mg/kg of bodyweight. Feedback from users suggests that dosing at the higher end, around 150-200mg or more per day, is optimal for those who want to experience its athletic and muscle building benefits. You’d have to consume a lot of chocolate to get those amounts from the diet so supplementation is recommended.

There are some supplements that feature epicatechin as their key ingredient and some that include it within a blend of natural anabolics.

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