Acute effects of brewed cocoa consumption on sustained attention, motivation to perform work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue (647.1)

Abstract

Acute effects of brewed cocoa and brewed cocoa with 49 mg added caffeine on attention, motivation and mood were examined in a randomized, double‐blinded, crossover trial. Participants (n=23) were low consumers of polyphenols without elevated feelings of energy. Prior to and three times after treatment, a 26‐minute battery was performed assessing motivation, mood and sustained attention (serial subtractions of 3 and 7, the continuous performance task and the Bakan dual task). Treatment X Time ANCOVAs controlling for prior night’s sleep showed that compared to placebo, cocoa reduced overall false alarms and speeded response times on the Bakan secondary task that was completed 31‐47 minutes post‐consumption. Caffeinated cocoa showed: (i) an attenuation of the anxiety provoking effects of cognitive testing found after drinking caffeine alone, and (ii) increased accuracy and reduced omission errors on the primary task of the Bakan test compared to cocoa alone. Brewed cocoa can acutely influence aspects of sustained attention but it has little effect on motivation to perform cognitive tasks or feelings of energy and fatigue. Supplemental caffeine in brewed cocoa can enhance aspects of sustained attention while brewed cocoa can attenuate the anxiety provoking effects found from drinking caffeine alone.Grant Funding Source: The Hershey Company