The purpose of this study is to determine which substances in cocoa produces changes in mental energy. This is a double blind study. The primary outcome measures are performance on tasks of sustained attention (serial subtract, continuous performance test and Bakan task) at pre and 90, 120 and 160 minutes post intervention, energy and fatigue symptoms (profile of mood state), and ratings of motivation to perform cognitive tasks. The assigned interventions are the following:
Only one prior study has examined the acute influence of cocoa on mental energy. The purpose of this research is to replicate the previous observations and extend research in four ways: 1) start to determine which substance in cocoa responsible for the effect by including several comparison groups, 2) focus on individuals with average or below average symptoms of mental energy and who are not high consumers of fruits, vegetables and other products containing high amounts of flavonoids in order to learn whether people with low energy accrue a greater benefit, and 3) include additional measures of mental energy plausibly influenced by cocoa to better understand the health consequences of cocoa.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
24
70 mg caffeine, 179 mg theobromine, 499 mg flavanols, and 1 packet of Truvia sweetener
21 mg caffeine, 179 mg theobromine, 499 mg flavanols, and 1 packet of Truvia sweetener
473 ml brewed water containing 66 mg caffeine, caramel coloring and one packet Truvia sweetener
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, United States
Correct Responses on Serial 7 Subtraction Task
Participants subtract the number 7 from a three digit number and quickly and accurately as possible for 60 seconds. The total number of accurate responses is scored. The higher the score the better performance. The range of scores is from a minimum score of 0 to a theoretical maximum score of 120.
Time frame: Pre and 30, 60 and 120 minutes post intervention
Performance on Bakan Task
Performance on Bakan Task at baseline, post-test 1, post-test 2, and post-test 3 Bakan test presents numbers on a computer screen. Participant presses one button whenever the number 6 appears and a different button whenever three odd and different numbers in a row occurs such as 7 5 9. The number of times the participant does this correctly the better the performance. The scores range from 0 to 10 because the sequence of three odd and different numbers occurs a total of 10 times.
Time frame: baseline, post 60, post 90, post 120
Vigor Symptoms (Profile of Mood State)
Vigor subscale scores from the Profile of Mood States.The higher the score the greater the feelings of energy. The scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 20.
Time frame: Pre and 90, 120 and 160 minutes post intervention
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473 ml of brewed water, caramel coloring and one packet Truvia sweetener