The Acute Effects of Exercise and Caffeine on Working Memory During Acute Caffeine Deprivation

Comparing the Acute Effects of Exercise and Caffeine on Working Memory During a Short Period of Caffeine Deprivation in Moderate to Heavy Caffeine Consumers

To determine the effects of moderate intensity exercise and caffeine on working memory in deprived caffeine consumers.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Caffeine Withdrawal; Acute Exercise; Memory Deficits
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Acute Exercise; Drug: Caffeine Powder

Detailed Description

Participants will be asked to keep consumption of caffeine before the first visit to their regular dose (ex. morning coffee) and to abstain from alcohol and drugs for at least 18 hours prior to testing. Participants will be urged to arrive at the same time for each visit. Upon arrival to the Exercise and Health Psychology lab (located in room 408 of the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Health Science Building at Western University) participants will be given the letter of information and asked to sign the informed consent form. Participants will also be asked to complete a demographic survey, PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) readiness for exercise, Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, CCQ-R (Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire), and the CWSQ (Caffeine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire). Vitals (heart rate and blood pressure) will be assessed following the completion of the questionnaires as well as post assessment in the seated position. Prior to evaluation on the N-back task (cognitive memory task described below) a practice stage with be conducted until the participant can consistently score 75% or higher on three consecutive trials to eliminate a learning effect. After establishing familiarity, a baseline cognition score will be conducted through the n-back assessment.

Prior to arrival for the second visit, participants will be asked to refrain from caffeine for at least 24 hours and to abstain from abstain from alcohol and drugs for at least 18 hours prior to testing. During the second visit (approximately 24 hours after the first) the participants will complete the pre-caffeine or pre-exercise questionnaire, the CWSQ and vitals will be monitored pre and post intervention. Caffeine abstinence will be validated through self-report with the use of deception (participants being told that their saliva sample is being tested for the presence of caffeine). To collect saliva, a cotton swab will be placed under their tongue for 1minute, placed into a tube, and then a co-investigator will discard the tube into a biohazard deposal container immediately. Participants will then complete another n-back assessment.

The participants will be randomized into either the moderate intensity exercise or caffeine ingestion group. The interventions are as followed; Moderate Intensity Exercise will consist of a 20-minute bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Exercise will consist of a 2-minute warm-up, followed by 15 minutes of walking at a rate, which will allow you to reach 2/3 of your max heart rate (moderate intensity exercise= (220-age) x 0.6), and then a 3-minute cool down on a treadmill (together equaling 20 minutes). HR will be monitored through heart rate monitors worn by the participants. The caffeine ingestion group will ingest 1.2 mg/kg of caffeine in powder form with water to drink, after ingestion of caffeine participants will wait 20 minutes to ensure peak plasma levels. The post intervention n-back assessment will begin within two minutes of the completion of either intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 7
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • London, Ontario, Canada
      • The University of Western Ontario

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Are over the age of 18 years
• Consume at least 150 mg of caffeine a day
• Do not have any cognitive problems
• Are not pregnant
• Do not have a medical condition that prevents you to exercise
• Do not have an orthopaedic limitation
• Have access to a telephone or an email account for communication
• Can read and write in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants taking prescription medication for depression or anxiety
• Participants that cannot give informed consent will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acute Exercise; 20 minutes of moderate intensity acute exercise (treadmill speed to achieve ⅔ of maximum heart rate).	Behavioral: Acute Exercise; Brisk walking on a treadmill at ⅔ maximum heart rate as defined by 220-age (in years).; Other Names: Aerobic Exercise
Active Comparator: Caffeine Ingestion; 1.2mg/kg of powdered caffeine (Caffeine powder, ReagentPlus® from Sigma-Aldrich) dissolved in 1 cup of water then sitting for 20 minutes.	Drug: Caffeine Powder; Participants will receive powdered caffeine dissolved in one cup of water (1.2mg/kg); Other Names: Caffeine Ingestion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Working Memory as assessed by N-back task	Participants will complete three n-back assessments, one baseline, one after 24 hours of caffeine deprivation, and one after treatment (either caffeine ingestion or acute exercise). Percent error rates will be compared.	Baseline and 24 hours later (deprived and post-treatment).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Western University, Canada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Harry Prapavessis, PhD, Western University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Morava A, Fagan MJ, Prapavessis H. Effects of Caffeine and Acute Aerobic Exercise on Working Memory and Caffeine Withdrawal. Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 23;9(1):19644. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-56251-y.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 10, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 10, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 10, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): December 28, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): March 4, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 29, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Memory Disorders; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Purinergic Antagonists; Purinergic Agents; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; Purinergic P1 Receptor Antagonists; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Caffeine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 120038

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Given the lack of research currently, it is unlikely for other researchers to request data. If other studies are done, we will put together a plan to share IPD.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes