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Repeated Sprints in Fasted State Impair Reaction Time Performance
Anissa Cherif1,2, Romain Meeusen2,3, Abdulaziz Farooq1
1a Athlete Health and Performance Research Center, Aspetar-Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital , Doha , Qatar.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
|March 21, 2017
Summary
Three days of Islamic intermittent fasting negatively impacted reaction times after intense exercise. Cognitive performance, specifically reaction time, was impaired following repeated sprints during fasting.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Neuroscience
- Nutrition
Background:
- Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary pattern with potential effects on cognitive function.
- Islamic intermittent fasting (3d-IF) involves short-term fasting periods.
- The impact of 3d-IF on cognitive performance and neurotrophic factors, especially after exercise, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of 3-day Islamic intermittent fasting (3d-IF) on cognitive performance.
- To assess changes in serum neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
- To examine these effects before and after repeated sprint exercise.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-one physically active males participated in a crossover study with control (nonfasting) and fasting sessions.
- Cognitive tasks included the One Touch Stockings (OTS) and reaction time (RTI) tests.
- Exercise consisted of two series of five maximal 5-second sprints.
Main Results:
- Post-exercise, simple and complex reaction times were significantly higher (worse) in the fasting session compared to the control session.
- No significant differences were observed in OTS performance between the fasting and control sessions.
- Serum levels of BDNF and VEGF remained unaffected by the 3d-IF protocol.
Conclusions:
- Three-day Islamic intermittent fasting negatively affects simple and complex reaction times after repeated bouts of intensive sprinting.
- Cognitive functions related to reaction time are impaired by short-term fasting combined with high-intensity exercise.
- Neurotrophic factor levels were not significantly altered by the 3d-IF protocol in this study.
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