The effect of water consumption on cognitive and motor performance

Abstract

Evidence suggests that a proportion of children may come to school in a dehydrated state. Dehydration can have negative effects on both physical and cognitive performance. Furthermore, a proportion of children may drink less than the minimum recommended amount whilst at school. There is an emerging literature on the positive effects of water consumption in schoolchildren. Studies have consistently found that children who have had a drink of water perform better on tasks requiring memory, visual perception and speeded processing than children who have not had a drink of water. However, no improvement has been found in tasks requiring motor skills. This study investigated the effects of drinking water on tasks that require both cognitive and motor performance. Children (n = 15) aged 8 and 9 completed series of tasks, once when they had been offered a 250 ml bottle of water and once when not. The children completed thirst and mood scales and a letter cancellation task followed by step ups, ball catching and the Wii game “Raving Rabbid” – a whack-a-mole game. The children performed significantly better in the letter cancellation task, p