Two days of calorie deprivation impairs high level cognitive processes, mood, and self-reported exertion during aerobic exercise: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study

This 2019 study tested the combined effect of sustained aerobic exercise and limited calorie consumption on cognitive ability. While cognitive function is preserved during short-term calorie restriction, it is unclear whether this can be maintained if performing physically demanding tasks. In this experiment, 23 volunteers were deprived of calories for 2 days on one occasion, and fully fed on another. The participants completed intermittent periods of exercise at 40-65% VO2peak while the researchers measured their cognitive control, mood, and perceived exertion. Not consuming calories impaired the subjects’ accuracy in one of the task-switching tasks, and reduced sensitivity in the go/no-go task of response inhibition. But calorie deprivation did not affect risk-taking, according to the Rogers risk task. When the volunteers were performing exercise while undergoing calorie deprivation, they demonstrated higher perceived exertion and impaired mood states of tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion. It was deduced that physical exertion during severe calorie deprivation diminishes cognitive control, mood, and self-rated exertion. These deficits may be explained by the reallocation of metabolic resources in the brain from the prefrontal cortex to structures that support movement. [NPID: cognition, cognitive function, exercise, calorie restriction, calorie deprivation, mood, perceived exertion, psychology]

Year: 2019

Reference: Giles, G. E., Mahoney, C. R., Caruso, C., Bukhari, A. S., Smith, T. J., Pasiakos, S. M., McClung, J. P., & Lieberman, H. R. (2019). Two days of calorie deprivation impairs high level cognitive processes, mood, and self-reported exertion during aerobic exercise: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Brain and cognition, 132, 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2019.02.003