Sport Effect of Low Carbohydrate Diets on Mental Tasks

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Science Daily said:
Low-carb dieters showed a gradual decrease on the memory-related tasks compared with the low-calorie dieters. Reaction time for those on the low-carb diet was slower and their visuospatial memory was not as good as those on the low-calorie diet. However, low-carb dieters actually responded better than low-calorie dieters during the attention vigilance task. Researchers note that past studies have shown that diets high in protein or fat can improve a person's attention in the short-term, which is consistent with the results in this study.
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Perhaps this may be relevant to those planning for mentally demanding tasks (e.g. students studying for tests, or someone watching over or guarding something) -- people may want to adjust their diet based on what type of mentally demanding tasks are involved.
 
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But the brain can use ketones.. so I don't know about theire explanation for why this would happen..
 
I'm reading the article, and stuff like attention was actually better for the low carb group. So if the explanation as to why the lower cognitive ability occurs is that the brain can't use fat for energy, then attention must not be related to how well the brain is fueled. And as the study said, some things, like attention, improved on the low carb diet. So it's not all bad, like the article says. It's usually best to read the studies instead of the articles about them.

Now I'm not saying that low carbs is the holy grail and that it doesn't affect cognitive performance, but there is a lot of variation. I'm also very interested in if the brains ability to get energy from ketones would reduce or eliminate the negative cognitive effects after the body got used to burning fat instead of carbs and ketone production came up to the needed level for metabolism.
 
Karky said:
I'm reading the article, and stuff like attention was actually better for the low carb group. So if the explanation as to why the lower cognitive ability occurs is that the brain can't use fat for energy, then attention must not be related to how well the brain is fueled. And as the study said, some things, like attention, improved on the low carb diet. So it's not all bad, like the article says. It's usually best to read the studies instead of the articles about them.
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The article does seem to have an anti-low-carb bias, but did note the improvements in attention, which is why I quoted the paragraph that included both the pluses and minuses of the low-carb group in mental tasks.
 
If you need any proof of the negative effects that low carb diets have on the brain then just go and read Chillen’s posts ;)
 
Somehow I missed that the article actually wrote about the benifits, weird, sorry about that. Anyway, I'd still like to know my question about ketones.
 
The brain PRIMARY source of fuel is sugar! This can come from carbs or glucose or fructose... whatever.

So its not surprising to me that people who have a low-carb eating lifestyle see a decline in memory related tasks!

I have also noticed that depriving yourself of carbohydrates leads to very low energy throughout the day.

Try it for yourself.

-Sahil M
 
fitslug said:
The brain PRIMARY source of fuel is sugar! This can come from carbs or glucose or fructose... whatever.

So its not surprising to me that people who have a low-carb eating lifestyle see a decline in memory related tasks!

I have also noticed that depriving yourself of carbohydrates leads to very low energy throughout the day.

Try it for yourself.

-Sahil M
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I tried low carbing (about 30-50g carbs a day) and I didn't notice anything about my energy levels. I think it's just a matter of your body needing to adapt to using ketones and getting ketogenesis running.
 
I'm very pro-low-carb (hmmm..), and I can definitely understand how the brain would perform better with carbohydrates. Neurons needing to maintain, and regain, their electokinetic potential after firing or just resting requires butt loads of energy. And obviously learning (building/altering neurons) would need even more.

It's difficult to evaluate this argument, but it's enough to make me bulk during the year and cut on summer and winter break.
 
i_love_muscle said:
Or mine :D
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Can we sort-of........ROCK-OUT, being mad and insane, while---we are in love with manipulating the almighty carbohydrate (and reaching our goals)....

Isn't this love-asylum beautiful?

Definitely PRO-manipulating the almighty and beastly carbohydrate.
When low-carbing, it dehydrates bad senses, and heightens the ROCK-ONS! :)

Let's get mad together. :)

Best wishes

Chillen
 
i_love_muscle said:
I'm pro low carb too. I think the benefits outweigh any alleged risks.
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Well I don't believe there are any long term effects, meaning you can improve mental performance just by carbing up. So the benefits outweigh the risks as long as you're not in need of a cram session, in which you might want a huge bowl of pasta :eating:
 
And on a side note, chillen's just crazy. If he at carbs he'd have way too much energy, I think he'd be worse!! :D
 
mreik said:
Well I don't believe there are any long term effects, meaning you can improve mental performance just by carbing up. So the benefits outweigh the risks as long as you're not in need of a cram session, in which you might want a huge bowl of pasta :eating:
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Exactly ;)
 
i_love_muscle said:
I agree. Let's leave Chillen in a perpetual state of ketosis :D
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Maybe one day, not too far in the future of one's goal (in this case some unnamed male and females), one will wake up, and be a true "man" and "woman", and be able to temporarily withstand, the side effects of low-carbing, and their internal choir which holds their bodily desire is so intense these low-carb feelings become past tense, and they rise up, stand on their own two feet, and be proud to have earned and learned......

The absolute POWER of manipulation of calories and the almighty macro nutrients.

And, then and only then......they will stand on their personal podium holding their personal "Goal Medal".

Where their is a will there is way, learn the power of the diet, or go the fugg-home.

Desire has to be greater then the crying about the piddly side effects. And, if you learn that this is the door you must......walk through, and do not want to......then.....who'd da blame?

Tissue boxes do not work. When you are done crying....the truth doesn't change, and the door is still closed.



Best regards,

Chillen
 
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What's your point, Chillen? You've been posting some really off-color posts about me, and I've reached my point of no return with you.

You obviously have an issue with the fact that there are people in the world (i.e., me because I'm diabetic) who can't go completely carb free. You've alluded to that only too many times. It's coming across loud and clear that in your eyes, that makes me a loser because I'm genetically defective and apparently you're superior to everybody because you can go ketotic and not suffer any issues with it.

Consider yourself lucky you can do what you can do. And stop abasing people who aren't able to do it.
 
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You are taking it completely out of context.

And, if you (or anyone) do not know (my positive character) by now (with exceptions given to spam, and attacking other members), this simply isn't my problem.

I don't think anyone is loser, and if you want proof.....you have 8,000 posts to go through--to prove to me, where I believe this, and haven't tried to motivate and bring up the spirits of many people---long before you were even a member.

Just about every post, I make....this is the motive.

I have done this to no gratification to myself, but only to have people realize they have the ability in them to get what they want......which the vast majority of my posts simply are. I have gotten immense flack from a select few over this type of posting, and simply do not give a damn.

If you are at point of no return with me, I guess you are the one with the problem. And this problem is simply in your perception and assumption, which is marked with errors.

I am truly sorry you feel this way.

Other than that........I meant well. Your perception of the post, I can not control.


By the way, concerning myself, I get many off-the-cuff comments about me both directly and indirectly, all the time, that are actually MEANT this way, while others are rather humorously meant.

Some made by you, and some made by others.......in this thread.

Am I crying like a baby? No, I am not. LOL......sometimes I handle in my own methods, but I had ignored it in this thread in particular, I might add :), but at the same time made fun of myself in passing in one of post remarks.

Have a nice day, ILM.

Best regards as always,

Chillen
 
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Chillen said:
Maybe one day, not too far in the future of one's goal (in this case some unnamed male and females), one will wake up, and be a true "man" and "woman", and be able to temporarily withstand, the side effects of low-carbing, and their internal choir which holds their bodily desire is so intense these low-carb feelings become past tense, and they rise up, stand on their own two feet, and be proud to have earned and learned......

The absolute POWER of manipulation of calories and the almighty macro nutrients.

And, then and only then......they will stand on their personal podium holding their personal "Goal Medal".

Where their is a will there is way, learn the power of the diet, or go the fugg-home.

Desire has to be greater then the crying about the piddly side effects. And, if you learn that this is the door you must......walk through, and do not want to......then.....who'd da blame?

Tissue boxes do not work. When you are done crying....the truth doesn't change, and the door is still closed.



Best regards,

Chillen
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Read what you're saying.

According to you, I should "go the fugg home" because I'm not a true woman because I can't cope with a ketotic diet.

That's what you're saying.

Bottom line: it's insensitive and hurtful.
 
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