Impact of Carbohydrate Ingestion on Cognitive Flexibility and Cerebral Oxygenation during High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise: A Comparison between Maple Products and Usual Carbohydrate Solutions

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of carbohydrate (CHO) drinks (6% per volume) sweetened with maple (syrup or sap) to a commercial sports drink, glucose, and a control solution (water) on cognitive flexibility during high-intensity intermittent exercise. Methods: Eighty-five active men completed six 3-min bouts at 95% of their maximal aerobic power on a stationary bike, with 3 min of passive rest between efforts. Subjects were randomly allocated to an ingestion condition. Following each exercise bout, subjects ingested 166 mL of the experimental solution, drinking a total of 1 L of the same solution throughout the experimentation. Cognitive flexibility was measured using reaction time and accuracy on the Stroop task. The cognitive task was performed a total of 10 times, including 15 and 30 min post-exercise. Glycemia and cerebral oxygenation were also measured at each time point. Statistical analyses were performed using a two-way ANOVA (Condition × Time) with repeated measures. Results: The ingestion of maple products and the commercial sports drink led to a lesser increase in glycemia than glucose ingestion. CHO ingestion, when compared to water, induced a slight reduction in reaction times on the cognitive task, especially in the switching trials. CHO ingestion had no impact on cerebral oxygenation. Conclusions: This study shows that CHO ingestion, regardless of its type, tends to improve cognitive performance throughout exercise, especially during difficult cognitive tasks.

Ingestion of maple-based and other carbohydrate sports drinks: effect on sensory perceptions during prolonged exercise

“…A bitter or sweet taste was previously shown to interact with corticomotor excitability [13] and brain oxygenation [16]. Although, recent results from our laboratory show no difference in brain oxygenation during repeated highintensity cycling bouts with carbohydrate ingestion (including maple products) or water [12]. In the current study, the lower overall appreciation reported with MW ingestion could be associated with the increased perception of sweet taste during the exercise period.…”

Carbohydrate-electrolyte ingestion enhances cognitive performance during a cross-country mountain biking race

“…Given these results, it appears that fatiguing characteristics of the HIIE, mainly due to a high physiological load (83.5 ± 6.4 % HRmax in our study), transitional bursts of very high intensity exercise period, and the contribution of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways to energy provision could induce a negative effect on cognitive performance in the earlier bout of exercise. This notion has been supported by findings from Dupuy and Tremblay [14] who claimed a decrease of RT and accuracy during a cognitive flexibility task towards the end of 6 x 3 minutes of heavy cycling exercise. Some neuroendocrinological model issued explanations for this cognitive performance impairment.…”

“…First, Welsh et al [12] reported no benefit of CHO feedings on the Stroop color task performance, which requires inhibition of prepotent responses and selecting relevant sensory information [13], during 60 minutes of shuttle running exercise interspaced with a 20-min halftime passive rest period. On the contrary, a recent study by Dupuy et Tremblay [14] suggests a slight reduction of reaction times throughout exercise with CHO ingestion (6%) on cognitive flexibility during a modified Stroop task, measured prior, between and after 3-min bouts of heavy cycling exercise for 36 minutes total duration. It is important to notice that in these two studies cognitive performance was not assessed simultaneously to HIIE exercise, but prior to exercise and during recovery.…”

“…This outcome is in accordance with Welsh and collaborators [12] who reported no effect of CHO-E ingestion on inhibition processes during a Stroop Color-Word Test throughout 60 minutes of HIIE. However, more recently, Dupuy and Tremblay [14] suggested a beneficial effect of CHO beverage (6%, 60g) on cognitive flexibility tasks, another executive control function, measured after short duration HIIE. Several methodology discrepancies and moderator variables including when cognition is measured, and the type of cognitive task [36] could limit generalization of CHO ingestion on executive control during exercise.…”

Effects of high intensity interval exercise on cerebrovascular function: A systematic review

“…The search methods resulted in 67 articles. After removal of duplicates, 15[40-53] articles were identified in PubMed and 5[54-58] new articles in CINAHL. During the initial screening of titles/abstracts, 11 articles were excluded due to HIIE not being the primary experimental protocol performed (n=6), studies not measuring cerebral arteries (n=4) and an animal study (n=1).…”