The Effects of an Energy Drink on Psychomotor Vigilance in Trained Individuals

Abstract

The psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) measures one’s behavioral alertness. It is a visual test that involves measuring the speed at which a person reacts to visual stimuli over a fixed time frame (e.g., 5 min). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an energy drink on psychomotor vigilance as well as a simple measure of muscular endurance (i.e., push-ups). A total of 20 exercise-trained men (n = 11) and women (n = 9) (mean SD: age 32 7 years; height 169 10 cm; weight; 74.5 14.5 kg; percent body fat 20.3 6.2%; years of training 14 9; daily caffeine intake 463 510 mg) volunteered for this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. In a randomized counterbalanced order, they consumed either the energy drink (ED) (product: BANG®, Weston Florida) or a similar tasting placebo drink (PL). In the second visit after a 1-week washout period, they consumed the alternate drink. A full 30 minutes post-consumption, they performed the following tests in this order: a 5-minute psychomotor vigilance test, three sets of push-ups, followed once more by a 5-minute psychomotor vigilance test. Reaction time was recorded. For the psychomotor vigilance test, lapses, false starts and efficiency score are also assessed. There were no differences between groups for the number of push-ups that were performed or the number of false starts during the psychomotor vigilance test. However, the ED treatment resulted in a significantly lower (i.e., faster) psychomotor vigilance mean reaction time compared to the PL (p = 0.0220) (ED 473.8 42.0 milliseconds, PL 482.4 54.0 milliseconds). There was a trend for the ED to lower the number of lapses (i.e., reaction time > 500 milliseconds) (p = 0.0608). The acute consumption of a commercially available ED produced a significant improvement in psychomotor vigilance in exercise-trained men and women.

Effects of Bang® Keto Coffee Energy Drink on Metabolism and Exercise Performance in Resistance-Trained Adults: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Crossover Study

“…However, it is important to note that the majority of the acute performance and metabolic benefits of energy drinks appear to be mediated by their caffeine and/or carbohydrate content [4]. To date, several investigations have assessed the efficacy of energy drinks and related products to improve muscular strength and power [5,6], muscular endurance [7], behavioral alertness [8], and sport-specific performance [9], with generally-positive results [10]. In some cases, researchers are faced with significant challenges when attempting to quantify the ergogenic potential of a given energy product, as energy drink labels will often list many ingredients in "proprietary blends," with exact amounts not provided [4].…”

Psychomotor abilities of candidates for Polish Special Forces

“…Other studies assessed the effect of caffeine on the improvement of cognitive functions and marksmanship effectiveness in soldiers 13 , 17 , 18 . Whereas, DeVocht et al 19 studied the impact of a chiropractic manipulation session on the reaction speed in special unit soldiers.…”

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“…Interestingly, the researchers found that the smallest dose resulted in the greatest improvements in reaction time performance compared to placebo, though the other two doses were still beneficial. A study conducted by Concerto and colleagues [ 199 ] also found similar results using a sugar-free formulation of the same product, which was further supported by two studies that utilized ED ingredients in isolation [ 200 , 201 ]. In a more recent study, Evans et al [ 202 ] found improvements in Pattern Comparison Processing Speed as well as a lower number of false starts during a Psychomotor Vigilance Test following acute consumption of an ED containing 300 mg of caffeine.…”

“…Chtourou and colleagues [ 146 ] demonstrated that consumption of an ED containing approximately 1 mg∙kg BW −1 caffeine could positively affect aspects of mood, finding significant reductions in self-reported measures of confusion, fatigue, anger, and anxiety as well as significant improvements in self-reported vigor. Seidl et al [ 200 ] also investigated the same product formulation in college-aged graduate students, reporting that feelings of well-being, vitality, and social extraversion were maintained after consumption of the ED but not placebo. Duncan et al [ 154 ] likewise noted that athletes who consumed an ED reported significantly greater readiness to invest mental effort.…”