Acute effects of dietary constituents on motor skill and cognitive performance in athletes

• Published in: Nutrition reviews Vol. 72; no. 12; pp. 790 - 802
• Main Authors: Baker, Lindsay B, Nuccio, Ryan P, Jeukendrup, Asker E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ International Life Sciences Institute 01.12.2014; Wiley; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: acute effects; Amino acids; Amino Acids, Branched-Chain - administration & dosage; Athletes; Biological and medical sciences; caffeine; Caffeine - administration & dosage; carbohydrate; carbohydrate intake; Carbohydrates; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - drug effects; Cognition - physiology; decision making; Diet; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Feeding. Feeding behavior; flavanols; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Ginkgo biloba; Humans; ingestion; Medical sciences; Motor Skills - drug effects; Motor Skills - physiology; Neuropharmacology; nutrients; Paullinia; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Rhodiola rosea; sage; Sports; team sports; theobromine; tyrosine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Performance evaluation; Human; Sport; CNS stimulant; Nutrition; Psychotropic; Acute; team sports; Carbohydrate; Performance; Athlete; Caffeine; caffeine; carbohydrate
• ISSN: 0029-6643; 1753-4887
• DOI: 10.1111/nure.12157

Performance in many sports is at least partially dependent on motor control, coordination, decision‐making, and other cognitive tasks. This review summarizes available evidence about the ingestion of selected nutrients or isolated compounds (dietary constituents) and potential acute effects on motor skill and/or cognitive performance in athletes. Dietary constituents discussed include branched‐chain amino acids, caffeine, carbohydrate, cocoa flavanols, Gingko biloba, ginseng, guarana, Rhodiola rosea, sage, L‐theanine, theobromine, and tyrosine. Although this is not an exhaustive list, these are perhaps the most researched dietary constituents. Caffeine and carbohydrate have the greatest number of published reports supporting their ability to enhance acute motor skill and cognitive performance in athletes. At this time, there is insufficient published evidence to substantiate the use of any other dietary constituents to benefit sports‐related motor skill or cognitive performance. The optimal dose and timing of caffeine and carbohydrate intake promoting enhanced motor skill and cognitive performance remain to be identified. Valid, reliable, and sensitive batteries of motor skills and cognitive tests should be developed for use in future efficacy studies.