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. 2021 Jul 4;13(7):e16178.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.16178. eCollection 2021 Jul.

An Evaluation of the Effects of a Non-caffeinated Energy Dietary Supplement on Cognitive and Physical Performance: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Affiliations

An Evaluation of the Effects of a Non-caffeinated Energy Dietary Supplement on Cognitive and Physical Performance: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Jaime L Tartar et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

A large and growing body of research shows that non-caffeinated plant-based nutritional supplements can increase cognitive and physical performance. This study aimed to build on this work by investigating the possibility that a specific botanical blend (consisting of Bacopa monnieri bacosides, Kaempferia parviflora methoxy flavones, pomegranate peel polyphenols, and Moringa oleifera leaf saponins) could improve cognitive and physical performance. To this end, we carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 21-day parallel study on 36 healthy adults. We compared the effects of the botanical blend at baseline to a caffeine and a placebo condition on 1) self-reported alertness, anxiety, and headaches; 2) multiple measures of attention and cognition; 3) physical performance; and 4) stress biomarkers. We found that relative to baseline and compared to the Caffeine and Placebo groups, the botanical blend increased alertness and improved cognitive performance. The cognitive effects were most robust for attention measures. The botanical blend did not improve physical performance on a time to exhaustion (TTE) test. Of note, there was not the expected increase in catecholamine response after the TTE on Day 21, suggesting that long-term botanical blend use decreases the catecholamine stress response of a physical endurance task. In conclusion, we show that, within the confines of this study, a combination of the botanical blend could serve as a safe and effective nutritional supplement to improve cognitive performance.

Keywords: attention; bacopa monnieri; caffeine; cognition; cortisol; kaempferia parviflora; moringa oleifera; pomegranate; saa; time to exhaustion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared financial relationships, which are detailed in the next section.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. MAPSS Alertness.
MAPSS alertness subscale. Independent-samples t-tests comparing groups to each other at each testing session. Asterisks (*) indicate significant difference from the botanical blend, p < 0.05. MAPSS, Mood, Alertness, and Physical Sensation Scale.
Figure 2
Figure 2. PVT Reaction Time.
PVT reaction time measures between groups (higher values reflect slower responses). Asterisks (*) indicate p <0.05. PVT, Psychomotor Vigilance Task.
Figure 3
Figure 3. PVT Errors.
PVT error measures between groups. Asterisks (*) indicate p <0.05. PVT, Psychomotor Vigilance Task.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test.
Units are in standardized (T) scores. Asterisks (*) indicate p <0.05.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Dimensional Change Card Sort Test.
Units are in standardized (T) scores. Asterisk (*) indicates p <0.05.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Test.
Units are in standardized (T) scores. Asterisks (*) indicate p <0.05.

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