Examining The Impact Of A Caffeine-based Energy Drink On Cognitive Performance

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute and 28-day supplementation of a caffeine-based energy drink on cognitive performance. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind study, 60 healthy participants (33 males, 27 females, age 27 ± 8 years, BMI 26.7 ± 2.2 m/kg2) consumed either a 200 mg caffeine beverage (CAF) or a placebo (PLA) for 28 days. Cognitive performance was assessed using Choice Reaction, Serial Sevens, Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B) at baseline, 60-, and 120-min post-ingestion on Days 1 and 28. Within-group comparisons were analyzed with paired samples t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-normally distributed data, while between-group comparisons used independent samples t-test or a Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: On Day 1, no significant differences were observed between groups in choice reaction correct hits or misses. By Day 28, CAF showed significant improvements in CR correct hits (p < 0.001) and fewer misses (p < 0.001) at both 60 min and 120 min post-ingestion compared to baseline. CAF exhibited faster reaction times at 120 min on Day 1 (p < 0.001), though this effect was not maintained on Day 28. The Serial Sevens test suggested trends favoring CAF at 60 min on both Day 1 (p = 0.079) and Day 28 (p = 0.059). For TMT-A and TMT-B, no significant differences in completion time or errors were observed on Day 1, however on Day 28, PLA showed a trend toward faster TMT-A times at 60 minutes compared to baseline (p = 0.075) and significantly reduced completion times from Day 1 to Day 28 (p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that both acute and 28-day supplementation with CAF can improve cognitive performance, particularly in choice reaction accuracy and reduced errors. While acute reaction time benefits were noted on Day 1, these did not persist by Day 28. Findings suggest the potential for CAF to enhance certain cognitive functions, warranting further investigation into its long-term effects. Supported by: Accelerator Active Energy, Newport Beach, CA