Premium
Mild Dehydration Impairs Executive Function
Author(s) -
Turner Joshua,
Leone Cheryl,
Luxkaranayagam Anita,
Stachenfeld Nina
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.823.5
Subject(s) - mood , cognition , psychology , working memory , audiology , medicine , clinical psychology , psychiatry
Cognitive function is impaired after 2% body water (BW) loss, but mild dehydration (D, 蠄 1.5% BW loss) may have limited impact on simple cognitive tasks. However, we hypothesized that complex executive function is impaired during mild D. We tested mild D effects on simple and complex measures of cognition and mood. To induce 1‐1.5% D, 9 sedentary women [26 (5) yrs, 23 (2) kg/m 2 BMI, follicular phase] exercised on a recumbent bike at 60 % age‐predicted heart rate max. We kept BW loss constant between the two conditions with a Potters scale: BW loss was replaced for a euhydrated (EU) condition and tracked for D. Pre and post EU and D, subjects underwent visual analog mood tests and computer based cognitive tasks (Cogstate): Simple: Detection, Identification, One‐Card Learning; and Complex: Groton Maze Learning Test (GMLT), Set Shifting (SETS, executive function); One Back, Two Back Memory, Continuous Paired Associate Learning (memory/learning). Pre‐post exercise, D impaired only the most challenging executive function tasks, SETS errors: [D 5.7 (6.4)] and EU 1.6 (6.63), P<0.05]; GMLT errors: D 7.0 (5.8) and EU 2.4 (6.7)]. Women may lose as much as 1.5% of body mass during daily activities and/or exercise if they do not consciously hydrate. Our data show that this level of D is associated with impaired executive function independent of mood or fatigue. Supported by PEPSICO, Inc.