In the one investigation in which no aerobic performance improvement was reported, the ED (containing 2 mg·kgBM-1caffeine) Autophagy signaling pathway inhibitor was ingested 60-minutes prior to the performance assessment. In light of the other findings, ingestion of the caffeine-containing ED 60-minutes prior to the exercise bout may be too long of a period to realize improvements in aerobic exercise performance. Mood/OICR-9429 supplier reaction time/alertness Reaction time, concentration, alertness, and subjective feelings of energy/vitality are important in many competitive activities such as hitting a baseball, returning a serve in tennis, and dodging strikes and kicks in a mixed martial arts competition. Strategies to improve these

attributes are often sought after by individuals competing in certain athletic endeavors. Over the past several years, research has investigated the effects that ED ingestion has on these (and other) variables. Seidl and coworkers [31] conducted a study utilizing three common ingredients (i.e., caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone) selleck typically found in ED and compared it to a placebo group. Participants were evaluated at night to see if ingestion of these nutrients affected mood and motor function in fatigued participants. Interestingly,

the investigators found that at the end of the experiment, reaction time was significantly longer in the placebo group, but remained unchanged in the group that consumed the ED ingredients. Similarly, vitality scores, feelings of well-being, and social extrovertedness were all significantly decreased in the placebo group, but did not change in the ED group [31]. Scholey and colleagues [182] investigated the effects of an ED (containing primarily caffeine, glucose, Cytidine deaminase ginseng and ginkgo biloba drink) or a placebo beverage on five aspects of cognitive performance and mood. Thirty minutes after consuming ED, two of the five variables (i.e., “secondary

memory” and “speed of attention”) were significantly improved as compared to the placebo beverage [182]. Other investigators also reported that when caffeine was combined with carbohydrates in a carbonated beverage, performance and mood were improved and/or maintained during fatiguing and cognitively demanding tasks relative to placebo [183]. Similarly, ED containing caffeine and glucose have also been shown to enhance event related potentials (i.e., a measure of brain activity in real time obtained from an electroencephalogram), which may translate to improvements in reaction time [184]. Hoffman and colleagues [169] reported that when male strength/power athletes consumed 120 ml of a commercially available ED or a placebo, reaction time and subjective feelings of energy and focus were significantly improved in those consuming the ED. Furthermore, the investigators also noted a statistical trend (p=0.06) towards an increase in alertness.