Biology subjects

La Monica, M. B.

Publications and source records attributed to La Monica, M. B..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Effects of TeaCrine(R) (theacrine), Dynamine™ (methylliberine), and caffeine on gamer psychomotor performance in a first-person shooter video game scenario

PurposeTo compare the effects of purported cognitive enhancing dietary bioactive ingredients on subjective and objective measures of cognitive and motor performance during a first-person shooter video game. MethodsUsing a placebo-controlled crossover design, nine healthy men (23.4{+/-}5.7 yr, 178.9{+/-}5.8cm, 86.0{+/-}17.1kg) completed four 20-minute gaming sessions designed to assess cognitive, motor, and perceptual skills via artificial intelligence-driven battery of tasks (Aim Lab). Participants ingested either a placebo (PL), caffeine (CAFF), or caffeine + methylliberine (Dynamine) + theacrine (TeaCrine(R)) (CMT). Before and after each gaming session participants rated various feelings of affect. Data were analyzed using mixed factorial ANOVA, bootstrapping post-hoc tests with 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes. ResultsCompared to PL, self-assessed performance was significantly increased in CMT vs. PL (p=0.035) and self-assessed jitteriness was increased by CAFF vs. PL (p=0.043). CMT was associated with a greater improvement of participants visuo-spatial working memory from baseline vs. PL (p=0.04) and CAFF (p=0.033). CAFF had a greater decrease in reaction time for false alarms (indicating diminished cognitive control) from baseline vs. PL (p=0.002) and CMT (p=0.001) and a greater increase for time on target tracking vs. PL (p=0.008) and CMT (p=0.047). Compared to PL, CMT was associated with a greater decrease in median kill time (indicating improved speed) (p=0.017). Compared to PL, systolic blood pressure was significantly increased by CAFF (p=0.025) and CMT (p=0.020) but remained within normal limits. ConclusionsAcute CMT supplementation improved cognitive and motor abilities in recreational gamers. The addition of theacrine and methylliberine to caffeine may lessen some undesirable effects of isolated caffeine ingestion on cognitive control and jitteriness.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2018

RESISTANCE TRAINING DOES NOT INDUCE UNIFORM ADAPTATIONS TO QUADRICEPS MUSCLES

Resistance training may differentially affect morphological adaptations along the length of uni-articular and bi-articular muscles. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in muscle morphology along the length of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) in response to resistance training. Following a 2-wk preparatory phase, 15 resistance-trained men (24.0 {+/-} 3.0 y, 90.0 {+/-} 13.8 kg, 174.9 {+/-} 20.7 cm) completed pre-training (PRE) assessments of muscle thickness (MT), pennation angle (PA), cross-sectional area (CSA), and echo-intensity in the RF and VL at 30, 50, and 70% of each muscles length; fascicle length (FL) was estimated from respective measurements of MT and PA within each muscle and region. Participants then began a high intensity, low volume (4 x 3 - 5 repetitions, 3min rest) lower-body resistance training program, and repeated all PRE-assessments after 8 weeks (2 d {middle dot} wk-1) of training (POST). Although three-way (muscle [RF, VL] x region [30, 50, 70%] x time [PRE, POST]) repeated measures analysis of variance did not reveal significant interactions for any assessment of morphology, significant simple (muscle x time) effects were observed for CSA (p = 0.002) and FL (p = 0.016). Specifically, average CSA changes favored the VL (2.96 {+/-} 0.69 cm2, pp < 0.001) over the RF (0.59 {+/-} 0.20 cm2, p = 0.011), while significant decreases in average FL were noted for the RF (-1.03 {+/-} 0.30 cm, p = 0.004) but not the VL (-0.05 {+/-} 0.36 cm, p = 0.901). No other significant differences were observed. The findings of this study demonstrate the occurrence of non-homogenous adaptations in RF and VL muscle size and architecture following 8 weeks of high-intensity resistance training in resistance-trained men. However, training does not appear to influence region-specific adaptations in either muscle.

physiology↗