Choline ingestion does not modify physical or cognitive performance
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2026

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development
Published on: February 11, 2019
Patricia A Deuster1, Anita Singh, Regina Coll
1Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
Objectives:
This study was undertaken to determine whether choline ingestion improves physical and cognitive performance following exhaustive load carriage exercise.
Methods:
In a double-blind crossover study, 13 men (28 +/- 2 years) underwent four test sessions: load carriage treadmill and no-load carriage test sessions after taking choline or placebo. Physical and cognitive performance batteries were administered at the end of the test sessions.
Results:
Choline ingestion (50 mg/kg body weight) significantly (p < 0.05) increased plasma choline concentrations during the load and no-load carriage test sessions. However, plasma choline did not decrease during the placebo load carriage test session, an indication that load carriage does not deplete circulating choline. There were no differences in performance on physical tasks, and choline ingestion had no effect on reaction time, logical reasoning, vigilance, spatial memory, or working memory.
Conclusion:
In healthy men, supplemental choline did not affect physical or cognitive performance after exhaustive physical activity.
Related Concept Videos
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions
At the neuromuscular junction, these agents work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, allowing it to remain bound to the receptor and bind to nearby receptors. This process leads to repetitive firing of the endplate, causing muscle...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
The direct-acting...
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex, leading to...
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics
Reversible agents containing quaternary amines, such as neostigmine and edrophonium, are not easily absorbed orally because they are...
