, and motivation to complete mental work in adult men reporting elevated ADHD symptoms. Methods A repeated-measures crossover experiment was conducted with 32 adult men (18–33 yr) with symptoms consistent with adult ADHD assessed by the Adult Self-Report Scale V1.1. Measures of attention (continuous performance task and Bakan vigilance task), motivation to perform the mental work (visual analog scale), lower leg physical activity (accelerometry), and mood (Profile of Mood States and Addiction Research Center Inventory amphetamine scale) were measured before and twice after a 20-min seated rest control or exercise condition involving cycling at 65% V˙O2peak. Condition (exercise vs rest) × time (baseline, post 1, and post 2) ANOVA was used to test the hypothesized exercise-induced improvements in all outcomes. Results Statistically significant condition–time interactions were observed for vigor (P < 0.001), amphetamine (P < 0.001), motivation (P = 0.027), and Profile of Mood States depression (P = 0.027), fatigue (P = 0.030), and confusion (P = 0.046) scales. No significant interaction effects were observed for leg hyperactivity, simple reaction time, or vigilance task performance (accuracy, errors, or reaction time). Conclusion In young men reporting elevated symptoms of ADHD, a 20-min bout of moderate-intensity cycle exercise transiently enhances motivation for cognitive tasks, increases feelings of energy, and reduces feelings of confusion, fatigue, and depression, but this has no effect on the behavioral measures of attention or hyperactivity used....

Acute effects of caffeinated and non-caffeinated cocoa on mood, motivation, and cognitive function are not well characterized. The current study examined the acute influence of brewed cocoa, alone and with supplemental caffeine, on attention, motivation to perform cognitive tasks and energy and fatigue mood states. A randomized, double-blinded, within-subjects crossover trial was conducted with four 473-milliliter brewed beverage treatments: cocoa, caffeinated cocoa (70 milligrams caffeine total), placebo (flavored and colored brewed water) and positive control (placebo plus 66 milligrams caffeine, “caffeine alone”). Participants (n = 24) were low consumers of polyphenols without elevated feelings of energy. Before and three times after beverage consumption, a 26-minute battery was used to assess motivation to perform cognitive tasks, mood and attention (serial subtractions of 3 and 7, the continuous performance task, and the Bakan dual task) with a 10-minute break between each post-consumption battery. The procedure was repeated with each beverage for each participant at least 48 h apart and ±30 min the same time of day. Data were evaluated using Treatment X Time analysis of covariance controlling for hours of prior night’s sleep. Compared to placebo, cocoa reduced overall false alarm errors progressively across time with 0.92, 1.44 and 2.35 fewer false alarms on average 22–48, 60–86 and 98–124 min post-consumption (η 2 = 0.08, p = 0.019). Caffeinated cocoa: (i) attenuated the anxiety-provoking effects of cognitive testing found after drinking caffeine alone (η 2 = 0.064, p = 0.038), and (ii) increased accuracy (η 2 = 0.085, p = 0.01) and reduced omission errors (η 2 = 0.077, p = 0.016) on the Bakan primary task compared to cocoa alone. Brewed cocoa can acutely reduce errors associated with attention in the absence of changes in either perceived motivation to perform cognitive tasks or feelings of energy and fatigue. Supplemental caffeine in brewed cocoa can enhance aspects of attention while brewed cocoa can attenuate the anxiety-provoking effects found from drinking caffeine alone. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01651793 . Registered July 25, 2012.

Introduction: Physical inactivity likely contributes to fatigue and low energy during pregnancy but whether acute resistance exercise attenuates these symptoms is unknown. Methods: Twenty-six women performed six low-to-moderate intensity resistance exercises twice per week from weeks 23 to 35 of pregnancy and measurements were made before and after each workout using the Mental and Physical State Energy and Fatigue Scales. Results: Acute resistance exercise usually increased perceived physical and mental energy (92% to 96% of workouts, respectively). These increases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical energy or mental energy, even after adjusting for variations in attendance (median = 22/24 workouts). Acute resistance exercise usually decreased perceived physical and mental fatigue (79% to 88% of workouts, respectively), and ANCOVA showed these decreases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical fatigue or mental fatigue even after adjusting for variations in attendance. Discussion: The results suggest acute, low-to-moderate intensity muscle strengthening exercise during pregnancy is effective for transiently improving feelings of energy and fatigue.