Effect of Cold Water Intake During Exercise in Heat on Cognitive Function

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cooling treatment by cold water intake before and during exercise in a hot environment on cognitive function.METHODS: Twelve healthy adult men (26.3±4.4 years, 176.2±5.8 cm, 77.2±14.6 kg, 24.8±3.7 kg/m²) completed 3 exercise tests; with drinking warm water (36.5°C), with drinking cold water (4°C), or without drinking water. Each test was separated at least 3 days. During each test, they ran on a treadmill for 20 minutes at 75% of their maximal heart rate in 40°C with 40% of humidity. For the drinking conditions, the total volume of drinking was set to 1% of the participant’s weight. Before the test in each drinking condition, they consume 1/3 of the total volume at once. The remaining 2/3 was consumed separately 3 times at six-min interval during exercise. A neuropsychological test using the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) was conducted before and after the exercise to examine the changes of cognitive abilities. Data were analyzed using a two way repeated measures ANOVA.RESULTS: Comparing pre- and post-exercise SCWT, the main effects in words, colors, and words and colors were noticed (p=.000, p=.003, and p=.008, respectively). No differences were found between water drinking conditions.CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a short bout of high-intensity exercise in the hot environment improved cognitive functions, but it was not possible to determine how water temperature and water intake affected cognitive ability. Further research is needed considering the ages and fitness levels of participants.

Behavioral Mimicry as a Strategy to Increase Drinking Behaviors in Older Adults

Purpose Individuals with dysphagia, particularly in the presence of dementia, are at high risk for decreased nutrition and hydration. Unfortunately, current treatment options are not without limitations and often ignore the crucial social aspects of mealtimes. The aim of this exploratory, proof-of-concept study was to examine whether the social phenomenon of nonconscious behavioral mimicry can increase drinking behaviors in healthy older adults. Method Forty-two older adults ( M age = 68.26 years, SD = 6.49) participated. Participants and a member of the research team posing as another participant (a confederate) took turns describing two series of pictures, while, unbeknownst to the participants, the confederate either frequently drank from a cup of water or touched the cup. The primary outcome measures (number of drinks per minute, number of cup touches per minute, percentage of time spent drinking, and percentage of time spent touching the cup) were coded and analyzed across both the confederate drinking and cup-touching conditions. Results Participants drank more frequently and spent more task time drinking during the confederate drinking condition as compared to the cup-touching condition. There was significant variability in drinking patterns across participants, with some only drinking when they were not engaged in the picture description task. Conclusions Behavioral mimicry may increase drinking behaviors in healthy older adults, although the effect may not be as robust among certain subsets of individuals. Clinically, mimicry may hold potential as a powerful, noninvasive supplemental mealtime strategy for increasing intake in those who are most at risk for malnutrition.