Substance review: Piracetam

One of the most popular substances purported to have a nootropic effect is Piracetam. UCB Laboratories in Belgium invented Piracetam in 1964 as a derivative of GABA, the neural system responsible for inhibiting neurotransmission the speed of the chemical reactions that trigger thought. Unlike the GABA pathways, the research team found no apparent evidence of it sedating the brain. The substance had such an impact on lead researcher Corneliu Giurgea that he coined the term "nootropic" itself in 1972 after observing the individual cases of enhanced mental functions.

The exact mechanism of Piracetam is unknown and it is not recognised as being a stimulant or a sedative. Various theories about its mechanism tend to focus on increasing neurotransmission through increasing permeability of the blood brain barrier, increasing the rate at which ion transfers occur and manipulating the receptors of various neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. It has a similar structure to levetiracetam, which is used in epilepsy and while different it may have an effect on the part of the brain that connects the hemispheres, called the corpus collosum.

Before we continue to purported effects I want to reiterate that properly conducted trials on this substance are rare and that the content based here is opinion based on incomplete information.

Physical effects:
Although there is anecdotal evidence of Piracetam causing insomnia, nausia and gastrointestinal discomfort, various studies of piracetams applications outside of memory have not shown side-effects. This short term epileptic trial and this stroke trial from Belgium on high dosages of Piracetam reported no significant physical differences from a placebo. Piracetam at the time of posting is presumably safe.

Cognitive effects:
Despite its history and usage over the last 40 or so years there is a limited range of mostly positive trials. In the 70s a trial on post-concussive effects of piracetam was conducted and found significant benefits. A German study showed quick cognitive recovery after bypass surgery and another large Ukrainian trial showed children's cognitive recovery improving after piracetam dosages. A large trial on dislexic patients found an increase in processing ability and for those with existing poor memory as did a few other trials around the mid 80s, but effective trials on the broader population are missing.

Conclusion:
Piracetam is a promising sports nootropic. The nootropic seems particular useful for contact sports and any sports where a head clash might occur. Research indicates its restorative effects would reduce the amount of time required to restore brain function, which is could be of substantial benefit to fight sports. A sports cognition boost in general is also promising. The anecdotal evidence and numerous animal studies point to benefits in learning and focus. Combine that with no obvious side-effects from several large studies and the risk/reward profile seems ideal.

Further reading:
http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001011.html

Substance review: Caffeine part III

Part III and the final post in the caffeine substance review, click for Part I and Part II.

Conclusion:
If caffeine is to be used as a cognitive sports enhancement supplement then it should be used infrequently and for competition events only. Furthermore it should be used in specific relationship to the type of sport. The studies examined all used significant dosages of caffeine, so while the occasional coffee wont hurt you routine I would be careful of multiple cups and in supplementing any existing casual habit with a specific supplement.

In all situations caffeine should be avoided during training sessions. It has been shown to not improve intentional learning and any gains from being able to push harder will only build up tolerance come game time or race day.

If you participate in a sport where your primary goal is power without endurance (e.g a lineman, power lifter or sprinter) you should probably limit caffeine use altogether. You will not benefit as greatly from creatine's endurance use while if you use a creatine supplement then the torque you gain will be lost.

If your role has features that are more comprised of intermittent sprints or flat out endurance (say midfielder, wide receiver or a mixed martial artist who goes the distance) then you will find caffeine to be a benefit. It will improve your working memory and reaction speed allowing you to better execute the techniques and plays you have trained for, while decreasing any feelings of fatigue you are experiencing. Be wary though, while in low doses caffeine elevates mood, the dosages used in the studies could be significant enough to make you jittery and on edge.

As a general supplement to enhance cognition in sports it seems limited in application due to lack of effect in actual learning, the possibility of negating existing supplements effectiveness and the side-effects of the large dosages required to see significant effects.

What to watch out for
While you should be able to eat chocolate and drink green tea as per normal you should monitor how much caffeine you intake as part of your coffee, tea, soda and energy drink consumption habits. In addition if your existing diet or supplements contain any of the following, then they contain caffeine and need to be considered in light of the above:

• Guarana (sometimes labelled as Pullinia capana)
• Kola nut
• Yerba mate
• Yaupon Holly

Further reading:

http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD006446/frame.html

Substance review: Caffeine

So I've just sat down and sucked back an energy drink laden with caffeine and I'm getting some familiar feelings. After a few minutes of staring at a mountain of emails, I start becoming more alert and I'm now ploughing through them. The sluggish feeling is shrugged and my fingers rain forth words in a flurry of activity.

Caffeine has been consumed in some form or another for almost as long as we've been able to record history, probably at first through the drinking of teas. Its pharmacological effects became better studied with the rise in the popularity of coffee during the 15th century. Caffeine was isolated as the active ingredient in products like tea and coffee by Friedlieb Runge in the early 19th century, but it took the modern application of the food and beverages industries' marketing to really kick off consumption.

The caffeinated soda drink Coca Cola was launched in the late 19th century before rocketing to its status as an American icon and the undisputed champion of the soft drink market. Red Bull then upped the stakes in the late 20th century when it successfully promoted a westernised version of an Asian energy syrup, more than tripling the caffeine content (per 100ml) of Coca Cola. Fast forward to today and we have a $5.7 billion industry for energy drinks along with the more traditional outlets like tea, coffee and soft drink.

I can only assume caffeine is such a popular stimulant because not only is it legal in just about every country in the world, but it also has some pretty obvious effects. I'm feeling a boost in productivity right now, people also note they feel more alert and their mood is elevated. These all sound like positive attributes for a mental enhancer, but most of the caffeine in the highly caffeinated drinks comes from decaffeinated coffee. If people are decaffeinating their drinks then it follows that people out there feel there are some significant negative effects of caffeine.

Caffeine works because it closely mimics the neurotransmitter adenosene and competes with it when attaching to receptors. Whereas adenosene's job is slow the nerve cell activity down before periods of rest, Caffeine attaches to the same receptors but does not effectively activate the receptors that slow down cell activity.

The pituitary gland is a part of the brain that regulates many bodily function including metabolism. It recognises the increased levels of cell activity caused by the caffeine blocking adenosene's effect so it triggers the release of epenephrine.

Epenphrine is commonly known as adrenaline, the hormone that puts the body in a state of preparedness for danger. This includes phenomena like reducing blood flow to the skin to stop bleeding, increasing blood flow to the muscles to improve activity and the liver releasing sugar for a quick energy burst. It also constricts blood vessels in the brain which can aid in some types of headaches.

Caffeine constricting blood vessels in the brain sends warning signals over its usefulness as mental stimulant. Other problems with caffeine include the side-effects of withdrawal from constant use. After constant consumption of caffeine sensitivity to adenosene would have increased to compensate for the caffeine inhibiting its effects. This in turn leads to increased sleepiness, lack of motivation and concentration - all of great concern to cognitive performance.

What then is the trade off in caffeine's use? How do we decide whether the benefit of caffeine's epenephrine release is worth the cost?

In the next post I will discuss the implications of some its effects onto an athlete who wants performance bothphysically and mentally.

Sources and further reading:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1182710-overview
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8401-coffees-effects-revealed-in-brain-scans.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0R-4D2MVP5-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08/01/2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b4e918620e14631692debfeed9ed1d0a

Photo by Carlos Porto