scholarly journals Acute Effects of Nicotine on Physiological Responses and Sport Performance in Healthy Baseball Players

Author(s):  
Shih-Hua Fang ◽  
Chi-Cheng Lu ◽  
Hua-Wei Lin ◽  
Kuan-Chen Kuo ◽  
Chen-Yu Sun ◽  
...  

There is interest in whether nicotine could enhance attention in sporting performance, but evidence on the acute effect of nicotine on physical response and sports performance in baseball players remains scant. This was an observational study to examine whether nicotine gum chewed before exercise could provide acute effects on physiological responses and sport performance. Accordingly, heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cotinine concentration and α-amylase activity, cognitive function, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance were measured. Thirteen healthy male non-smoker baseball players were recruited. Conducting two sequences with 7-day intervals, they chewed nicotine gum (nicotine group) or flavor-matched placebo gum (placebo group) for 30 min. HRV and saliva analyses were conducted before gum consumption (S1), after gum consumption (S2), and after test completion (S3). Cognitive, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance tests were performed after nicotine or placebo gum chewing. The outcomes of all assessed variables were compared within and between the groups. Significant changes in HRV, α-amylase, testosterone, and cortisol were observed in the nicotine group at S2 and S3 (p < 0.05). Compared with the placebo group, the nicotine group exhibited enhanced motor reaction times, grooved pegboard test (GPT) results on cognitive function, and baseball-hitting performance, and small effect sizes were noted (d = 0.47, 0.46 and 0.41, respectively). Nicotine could induce changes in endocrine and sympathetic nerve activity and enhance cognitive function and baseball-hitting performance. However, no increase in muscle strength was observed after nicotine intake.

Author(s):  
Bao-Lien Hung ◽  
Li-Jung Chen ◽  
Yi-Ying Chen ◽  
Jhih-Bang Ou ◽  
Shih-Hua Fang

Abstract Background Nicotine is beneficial to mood, arousal and cognition in humans. Due to the importance of cognitive functioning for archery athletes, we investigated the effects of nicotine supplementation on the cognitive abilities, heart rate variability (HRV), and sport performance of professional archers. Methods Eleven college archers were recruited and given 2 mg of nicotine supplementation (NIC group) and placebo (PLA group) in a crossover design. Results The results showed that at 30 min after the intake of nicotine gum, the “correct rejection” time in the NIC group was significantly lower than that of the PLA group (7.29 ± 0.87 vs. 8.23 ± 0.98 msec, p < 0.05). In addition, the NIC group completed the grooved pegboard test in a shorter time than the PLA group (48.76 ± 3.18 vs. 53.41 ± 4.05 s, p < 0.05), whereas motor reaction times were not different between the two groups. Saliva α-amylase activity was significantly lower after nicotine supplementation (p < 0.01) but increased immediately after the archery test in the NIC group (p < 0.05). In addition, nicotine supplementation significantly decreased HRV and increased the archery score (290.58 ± 10.09 vs. 298.05 ± 8.56, p < 0.01). Conclusions Nicotine enhances the performance of archery athletes by increasing cognitive function and stimulating the sympathetic adrenergic system.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Maria Seidel ◽  
Helen Brooker ◽  
Kamilla Lauenborg ◽  
Keith Wesnes ◽  
Magnus Sjögren

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe and often enduring disorder characterized by restriction of food intake, low body weight, fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. Investigations on cognition performance in AN patients have yielded conflicting results. Using an established and sensitive computerized cognitive test battery, we aimed to assess core aspects of cognitive function, including attention span, information processing, reasoning, working and episodic memory, in AN patients and controls. Patients were recruited from the Danish Prospective Longitudinal all-comer inclusion study in Eating Disorders (PROLED). Included were 26 individuals with AN and 36 healthy volunteers (HV). All were tested with CogTrack (an online cognitive assessment system) at baseline, and AN patients were tested again at a follow-up time point after weight increase (n = 13). At baseline, AN patients showed faster reaction times in the attention tasks, as well as increased accuracy in grammatical reasoning compared to HV. There were no differences in cognitive function between AN patients and HV in the other cognitive domains measured (sustained attention, working and episodic memory, speed of retrieval, and speed of grammatical reasoning). No differences were visible in the AN sample between baseline and follow-up. Performance did not correlate with any clinical variables in the AN sample. These findings supplement results from other studies suggesting increased concentration and reasoning accuracy in patients suffering from AN, who showed increased performance in cognitive tasks despite their illness.


Author(s):  
Takashi Higuchi ◽  
Yuichi Nakao ◽  
Yasuaki Tanaka ◽  
Masashi Sadakiyo ◽  
Koki Hamada ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 442-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maren Cecilie Strand ◽  
Vigdis Vindenes ◽  
Hallvard Gjerde ◽  
Jørg Gustav Mørland ◽  
Johannes G. Ramaekers

1996 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 999-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van Soeren ◽  
T. Mohr ◽  
M. Kjaer ◽  
T. E. Graham

Caffeine ingestion has been demonstrated to increase circulating epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE), elevate free fatty acids (FFAs), and alter heart rate, blood pressure (BP), and ventilation in humans. Whether these physiological responses are a result of caffeine acting through direct stimulation of specific tissues via adenosine receptors or secondary to Epi increases is not known. In the present experiment, six tetraplegics (level of spinal cord lesions C4-C6) were tested at rest for 3 h to investigate the effects of 6 mg/kg caffeine in capsule form on subjects with impaired Epi responses. Ventilatory, cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal data were collected every 15-20 min after caffeine ingestion. There were no significant (P > 0.05) increases in plasma Epi after caffeine ingestion [0.19 +/- 0.04 (SE) nM (preingestion); 0.20 +/- 0.04 nM (80 min postingestion)] or in plasma NE [0.53 +/- 0.16 nM (preingestion); 0.49 +/- 0.09 nM (80 min postingestion; P > 0.05)]. However, significant increases were found in serum FFAs [0.53 +/- 0.08 nM (preingestion); 1.03 +/- 0.20 mM (40 min postingestion; P < 0.05] and in glycerol. These concentrations remained elevated throughout the experiment. BP increased in the first hour postingestion. These data demonstrate that caffeine in physiological doses directly stimulates specific tissues, i.e., adipose and peripheral vascular tissue, and these effects are not secondary to increases in Epi after caffeine ingestion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Babault ◽  
Ahmad Noureddine ◽  
Nicolas Amiez ◽  
Damien Guillemet ◽  
Carole Cometti

Background:Salvia (sage) supplementation has been shown to improve the cognition function in healthy individuals or patients (e.g., attention, memory). To date, no study has explored its relevancy in the context of sporting performance. The aim of this study was to explore the acute effects of a combination of Salvia officinalis and Salvia lavandulaefolia on cognitive function in athletes performing a fatiguing cycling task.Methods: Twenty-six volunteers were included in this cross-over, randomized, double-bind vs. placebo trial. Two hours before the two experimental sessions (here called SAGE and PLACEBO), volunteers randomly received a supplementation of sage or placebo. During each experimental session, participants were tested at four occasions while cycling during a warm-up, in the middle and at the end of a fatiguing task and after a short 5-min recovery. Tests included a Stroop task, a simple reaction time task, and a backward digit span memory task. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were also measured at the beginning of the four test sessions.Results: Heart rate was significantly greater during the fatiguing exercise than during warm-up and recovery (P &lt; 0.001) without any supplementation effect. RPE was greater during the fatiguing exercise than during warm-up and recovery (P &lt; 0.001). Moreover, RPE was significantly lower during the SAGE session as compared to PLACEBO (P = 0.002). Reaction time was not altered during the exercise but was significantly shorter with SAGE as compared to PLACEBO (P = 0.023). The Stroop task only revealed significantly longer reaction time during warm-up as compared to recovery (P = 0.02) independently of the supplementation. The digit span memory test revealed a significant greater span score with SAGE as compared to PLACEBO (P = 0.044).Conclusion: The combination of Salvia improved the cognitive functions (perceived exertion, working memory, and reaction time). The positive effects were obtained in fresh condition and were maintained with fatigue.


Author(s):  
N. Nagai ◽  
N. Shindo ◽  
A. Wada ◽  
H. Izu ◽  
T. Fujii ◽  
...  

Background: Rice wine lees (RWL), a Japanese traditional fermented product, is a rich source of one-carbon metabolism-related nutrients, which may have beneficial effects on cognitive function. Objectives: We aimed to examine the effect of the RWL on cognitive function in community-dwelling physically active older adults. Design: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (clinical trial number: UMIN 000027158). Setting: Community-based intervention including assessments conducted at the University of Hyogo and a public liberal arts school in Himeji City, Japan. Participants: A total of 35 community-dwelling older adults (68–80 years) who performed mild exercise before and during the trial were assigned to either the RWL (n=17) or the placebo group (n=18). Intervention: Daily consumption of 50 g RWL powder, which contained one-carbon metabolism-related nutrients, or the placebo powder (made from soy protein and dextrin) for 12 weeks. Both supplements included equivalent amounts of energy and protein. Measurements: Montreal Cognitive Assessment, computerized cognitive function test, and measurements of serum predictive biomarkers (transthyretin, apolipoprotein A1, and complement C3) were conducted at baseline and follow-up. Results: Visual selective attention and serum transthyretin significantly improved in the RWL group, whereas there was no significant change in the placebo group. No significant group difference was observed in the remaining cognitive performance tests. Conclusions: RWL supplements seem to have a few effects on cognitive function in community-dwelling physically active older adults. However, the impact was limited; therefore, further studies with sufficient sample size are warranted to elucidate this issue.


1993 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 1052-1055
Author(s):  
Kei Kadekawa ◽  
Satoshi Tomiyama ◽  
Akira Ohmine ◽  
Tomomi Uesato ◽  
Fuminori Kanaya ◽  
...  

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