Altering meal timing to improve cognitive performance during simulated nightshifts

Oct 11, 2019Chronobiology international

Changing meal times to improve thinking skills during nightshift simulations

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Abstract

At 04:00 h, participants who consumed a snack during the nightshift showed significant improvements in cognitive performance and reduced subjective sleepiness compared to those who ate a meal or did not eat.

Participants consuming a snack displayed increased time spent in the safe zone during driving simulations, indicating better control and safety.
Snack consumers experienced reduced speed variability and lane variability, suggesting enhanced driving stability.
Post-drive cognitive performance, measured by lapses in reaction time, was significantly better in those who had a snack compared to those who ate a meal or did not eat.
Individuals who had a meal reported greater subjective sleepiness at 04:00 h than those who had a snack or no food.
There was no significant difference in objective sleep quality between the different eating conditions.

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Altering meal timing could improve cognition, alertness, and thus safety during the nightshift. This study investigated the differential impact of consuming a meal, snack, or not eating during the nightshift on cognitive performance (ANZCTR12615001107516). 39 healthy participants (59% male, age mean±SD: 24.5 ± 5.0y) completed a 7-day laboratory study and underwent four simulated nightshifts. Participants were randomly allocated to: Meal at Night (MN;12), Snack at Night (SN;= 13) or No Eating at Night (NE;= 14). At 00:30 h, MN consumed a meal and SN consumed a snack (30% and 10% of 24 h energy intake respectively). NE did not eat during the nightshift. Macronutrient intake was constant across conditions. At 20:00 h, 22:30 h, 01:30 h, and 04:00 h, participants completed the 3-min Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT-B), 40-min driving simulator, post-drive PVT-B, subjective sleepiness scale, 2-choice Reaction Time task, and Running Memory task. Objective sleep was recorded for each of the day sleeps using Actigraphy and for the third day sleep, Polysomnography was used. Performance was compared between conditions using mixed model analyses. Significant two-way interactions were found. At 04:00 h, SN displayed increased time spent in the safe zone (< .001; percentage of time spent within 10 km/h of the speed limit and 0.8 m of lane center), and decreases in speed variability (< .001), lane variability (< .001), post-drive PVT-B lapses (defined as RT > 355 ms;< .001), and reaction time on the 2-choice reaction time task (< .001) and running memory task (< .001) compared to MN and NE. MN reported greater subjective sleepiness at 04:00 h (< .001) compared to SN and NE. There was no difference in objective sleep between eating conditions. Eating a large meal during the nightshift impairs cognitive performance and sleepiness above the effects of time of night alone. For improved performance, shiftworkers should opt for a snack at night. n= n n p p p p p p p

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Altering meal timing to improve cognitive performance during simulated nightshifts

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