Short Term Effects of Diet Short Term Effects of Diet on Cognitive Performanceon Cognitive Performance

Steele TaylorSteele Taylorjstaylor@uvm.edujstaylor@uvm.edu

www.uvm.edu/~jstaylor/AcademicExcellencewww.uvm.edu/~jstaylor/AcademicExcellence

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1573, Louvre

Museum, Paris

The Institute of Medicine:

Committee on Military Nutrition Research

http://img.tfd.com/MosbyMD/thumb/http://img.tfd.com/MosbyMD/thumb/vagus_nerve.jpgvagus_nerve.jpg

The Brain: “Selfish and Snobbish”The Brain: “Selfish and Snobbish”

≈2% of Overall Body Mass

20-25 % of Resting Energy Expenditure

Pure Reliance on Glucose (normally)

Negligible Energy Reserves

No weight loss during starvation

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Memory Storage and Retrieval

Navigation of Outer and Inner Space

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Hippocampus: “Librarian of the Brain”

Baseline glucose supply may not Baseline glucose supply may not keep up with the demands of highly keep up with the demands of highly

active areas of the brain… active areas of the brain…

http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2000/11/brain/composite_2.jpg

Glucose Tolerance and Glucose Tolerance and Glycemic IndicesGlycemic Indices

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Be Careful – Glycemic Index ≠ ΔBlood Glucose…

1. Individual Variations

2. Overall Composition of Meal

3. Food Preparation

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higher glycemic-index mealhigher glycemic-index meal……

Benton et al. .The delivery rate of dietary carbohydrates affects cognitive performance in both rats and humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Feb;166(1):86-90. Epub 2002 Dec 12.

The Post-Lunch DipThe Post-Lunch Dip

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“Neither Hungry Nor Full”

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Reward YourselfReward Yourself

http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk/salmon/year1/psy128anxiety.htm

The Precursor Control Hypothesis: h

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The Diffuse Serotonin System:

1. Moderate Exercise

2. High carbohydrate vs. protein meal

30 Hours of Energy!

Caffeine: Caffeine: Multiple sites of action to generate Multiple sites of action to generate

CNS stimulation and alter metabolismCNS stimulation and alter metabolism TaurineTaurine

Protects electrically excitable tissuesProtects electrically excitable tissues Prevents central and local fatiguePrevents central and local fatigue

CDP-CholineCDP-Choline Precursor control of acetylcholinePrecursor control of acetylcholine

N-Acetyl L-TyrosineN-Acetyl L-Tyrosine Precursor control of dopamine and Precursor control of dopamine and

norepinephrinenorepinephrine L-Phenylalanine L-Phenylalanine →→

phenethylaminephenethylamine Operates like a weak amphetamine to Operates like a weak amphetamine to

sustain the activity of dopamine and sustain the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine norepinephrine

Short Term Effects of Diet Short Term Effects of Diet on Cognitive Performanceon Cognitive Performance

Steele TaylorSteele Taylorjstaylor@uvm.edujstaylor@uvm.edu

www.uvm.edu/~jstaylor/AcademicExcellencewww.uvm.edu/~jstaylor/AcademicExcellence

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1573, Louvre

Museum, Paris