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Abstract Due to growing interest in the investigation of exercise induced sweat biomarkers to assess an individual’s health and the increasing prevalence of tattoos in the world’s population, investigators sought to determine whether local sweat concentrations and excretion rates of epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin (IL) -1α, IL-6, IL-8, cortisol, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and lactate differ between tattooed and contralateral non-tattooed skin during exercise. Sixteen recreational exercisers [female (50%)] (age = 25–48 years) with ≥ 1 unilateral permanent tattoo [median tattoo age = 6 years, IQR = 5] on the arm/torso completed an outdoor group fitness session. There were no significant differences between tattooed and non-tattooed skin for sweat EGF, IL-1α, IL-8, cortisol, glucose, BUN, or lactate concentrations. There were no significant differences between tattooed and non-tattooed skin for sweat EGF, IL-1α, IL-8, cortisol, glucose, BUN, or lactate excretion rate. Findings suggest that permanent tattoos older than 1 year may not impact local sweat EGF, IL-1α, IL-8, cortisol, glucose, BUN, and lactate concentrations or excretion rates during exercise. Clinical trial identifier NCT04920266 was registered on June 9, 2021.

Drawing from the 2015 Gucciardi et al.’s mental toughness (MT) framework, this study examines the association between grit and MT in US college students, while considering the moderating role of at least 75 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) based on recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine. We administered the Grit-S Scale and the Mental Toughness Index in two samples of a total of 340 US undergraduate student-athletes and graduate students. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was employed to ensure internal validity, while statistical procedures including principal component analysis and regression models were utilized to analyze the collected data. A weighted component combining grit and the interaction between MVPA and grit significantly predicted MT, explaining 23% of its variability. Drawing from a specific conceptual framework, this study provides novel insights into the relationship between grit, engagement in at least 75 min of MVPA per week, and MT among US collegiate students. The findings support a positive association between grit, MVPA, and both MT and a specific component of MT, highlighting the significance of these factors in enhancing performance and suggesting potential implications for future research and practical applications in the field.

Objective The objective of the present study was to find biomechanical correlates of single-task gait and self-reported sleep quality in a healthy, young population by replicating a recently published study.

COVID-19 profoundly impacted the world by causing disruptions in the global job markets due to business closures to support physical distancing in the earliest stages of the pandemic. To maintain basic societal function in the early stages of the pandemic, workers were classified based on the nature of their employment responsibilities as essential (i.e., continued working outside the home) and non-essential (i.e., required to work from home). Using a cross-sectional design, we identified the lifestyle behaviors (sleep, diet, physical activity) and mood among workers in the United States. We used an Internet-based survey to collect data from adults April 13 to May 4, 2020. Survey questions focused on sleep, diet, physical activity, mood, grit, mental workload, and hours worked. We calculated descriptive and inferential statistics to describe differences in outcomes of interest across a four-category variable combining sex and essential worker status (i.e., male essential, male non-essential, female essential, and female non-essential). The sample of 631 adults (mean age = 35.99 ± 12.17) was primarily female (72%), employed full-time (80.5%), and had at least a bachelor’s degree (85.8%). We found statistically significant differences between groups based on sleep, diet, physical activity, and mood. Whereas we identified sex-based differences between lifestyle factors and moods, both male and female essential workers slept better, were more physically active, and reported better moods than their non-essential counterparts. Findings suggest that sex and work status may have impacted physical and mental health during the earliest stages of COVID-19. The associated long-term consequences of work responsibilities during the earliest stages of the pandemic remain unknown and require further study.

This study investigated the impact of auditory stimuli on muscular activation patterns using wearable surface electromyography (EMG) sensors. Employing four key muscles (Sternocleidomastoid Muscle (SCM), Cervical Erector Muscle (CEM), Quadricep Muscles (QMs), and Tibialis Muscle (TM)) and time domain features, we differentiated the effects of four interventions: silence, music, positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement. The results demonstrated distinct muscle responses to the interventions, with the SCM and CEM being the most sensitive to changes and the TM being the most active and stimulus dependent. Post hoc analyses revealed significant intervention-specific activations in the CEM and TM for specific time points and intervention pairs, suggesting dynamic modulation and time-dependent integration. Multi-feature analysis identified both statistical and Hjorth features as potent discriminators, reflecting diverse adaptations in muscle recruitment, activation intensity, control, and signal dynamics. These features hold promise as potential biomarkers for monitoring muscle function in various clinical and research applications. Finally, muscle-specific Random Forest classification achieved the highest accuracy and Area Under the ROC Curve for the TM, indicating its potential for differentiating interventions with high precision. This study paves the way for personalized neuroadaptive interventions in rehabilitation, sports science, ergonomics, and healthcare by exploiting the diverse and dynamic landscape of muscle responses to auditory stimuli.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic altered lifestyles and impacted mental health of many adults. Engaging in physical activity, avoiding prolonged sitting, and consuming a healthy diet improve mental health. The current study investigated the association between health-related lifestyle behaviors on feelings of anxiety and depression in adults during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Adults (n=796) living in the United States completed an internet-based survey in Spring 2020 that included validated survey instruments for moods, physical activity, sitting and dietary behaviors. Multivariate multiple regression models were used to assess the association between health-related lifestyle behaviors and feelings of anxiety and depression. Results: A majority (70.7%; 95% CI: [0.607, 0.807]) of participants met physical activity (PA) guidelines, 43.7% (95% CI: [0.287, 0.587]) sat for ≥ 8 hours per day, and 87.7% (95% CI [0.807, 0.947]) ate a healthy diet. Our final models explained 6.2% and 9.8% of the variance in anxiety and depression, respectively. Vigorous PA (anxiety: B=-0.111, 95% CI: [-0.171,0.000]; depression: B=-0.111, 95% CI: [-0.186,-0.037]) and dietary behaviors (anxiety: B=-0.112, 95% CI: [-0.180,-0.444]; depression: B=-0.112, 95% CI: [-0.213,-0.076]) were associated with reduced feelings of anxiety and depression while sitting time (anxiety: B=0.119, 95% CI: [0.000,0.199]; depression: B=0.119, 95% CI: [0.199,0.199]) were associated with greater feelings of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Engaging in vigorous physically activity, reducing sitting time, and consuming a healthy diet was associated with reduced feelings of anxiety and depression during the early part of the pandemic. The aforementioned modifiable lifestyle behaviors are independent of each other suggesting improvements in one behavior may improve feelings of anxiety and depression.

Women ages 60 and older vary in sexual behaviors. This study examined the prevalence of vaginal intercourse, outercourse, and receipt and performance of oral sex reported among 461 married/partnered women age ≥ 60 years in the United States and factors associated with these four sexual behaviors. Using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, associations between participants’ socio-demographics, health indicators, sexual perceptions, communication, and sexual behaviors were examined. In the past year, 53.6% reported having vaginal intercourse, 56.0% outercourse, and 21.7% receiving and 20.6% performing oral sex. Women with depressive symptomology were less likely to report intercourse and outercourse (p < 0.05). Women endorsing pleasurable sex as necessary to maintain relationships were more likely to report all four behaviors (p < 0.01). Women who communicated openly with partners were more likely to report intercourse (p = 0.002), outercourse (p = 0.001), and performing oral sex (p = 0.025). Findings may inform strategies about positive sex perceptions and strengthening partner communication.

Depressive mood states in healthy populations are prevalent but often under-reported. Biases exist in self-reporting of depression in otherwise healthy individuals. Gait and balance control can serve as objective markers for identifying those individuals, particularly in real-world settings. We utilized inertial measurement units (IMU) to measure gait and balance control. An exploratory, cross-sectional design was used to compare individuals who reported feeling depressed at the moment (n = 49) with those who did not (n = 84). The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies was employed to ensure internal validity. We recruited 133 participants aged between 18–36 years from the university community. Various instruments were used to evaluate participants’ present depressive symptoms, sleep, gait, and balance. Gait and balance variables were used to detect depression, and participants were categorized into three groups: not depressed, mild depression, and moderate–high depression. Participant characteristics were analyzed using ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests, and no significant differences were found in age, height, weight, BMI, and prior night’s sleep between the three groups. Classification models were utilized for depression detection. The most accurate model incorporated both gait and balance variables, yielding an accuracy rate of 84.91% for identifying individuals with moderate–high depression compared to non-depressed individuals.

Data analytics are an increasingly popular method for talent identification, and are used for a variety of decision making purposes, such as rotations and playing time. However, coaches often rely on their perceptions and experiences to identify talent and player attributes that are important to success. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to evaluate differences between coach perceptions of player ability against actual performances as well as to determine whether these perceptions differed as a head or assistant coach. Participants were six (two head; four assistant) college coaches who were asked to collectively identify the five most important attributes when evaluating a basketball player. Then, before the season began, all coaches were asked to independently score each of their athletes on these attributes using a 100mm Visual Analog Scale. These scores were compared to player performances during the season. Results were mixed, and while there were correlations between some player performance variables and coach perceptions, they varied wildly, and coaches’ perceptions of their athletes had little consistent correlation to their performances. Furthermore, there were few agreements between head coaches and their assistants or between assistants. Findings suggest that while coach perceptions and talent identification have their place, the use of data analytics in sports may provide additional support when making coaching decisions such as playing time. Therefore, coaches should recognize their own limitations of player talent and balance these “feelings” with statistical evidence.

Grit has been associated with feelings of energy when measured as the opposite end of fatigue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, grit has been linked to positive health-related behaviors, which are known to influence feelings of energy and fatigue. The objective of this study was to identify the association between grit, time spent sitting, physical activity (PA), and feelings of mental and physical energy (ME, PE) and fatigue (MF, PF) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Participants (n = 859) completed surveys once. Using a series of multivariate regression models, we assessed the association between grit, time spent sitting, PA and ME, MF, PE, and PF. When accounting for all factors, performing vigorous PA was associated positively with PE and ME and negatively with PF and MF, whereas sitting was related negatively with PE and ME and positively with PF and MF. Grit was not associated with the four moods. Study findings underscore the need to adopt healthy lifestyle behavior to improve feelings of energy and fatigue in the face of a pandemic. During this ongoing global health crisis, these findings present novel and important evidence with possible immediate applications for health behavior, such as informing already-established health behavior theories to, ultimately, design COVID-19-specific interventions.

Cues are commonly used to overcome the effects of motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Little is known about the impact of cues on postural sway during transfers. The objective of this study was to identify if three different types of explicit cues provided during transfers of people with Parkinson’s disease results in postural sway more similar to healthy controls. This crossover study had 13 subjects in both the Parkinson’s and healthy control groups. All subjects completed three trials of uncued sit to stand transfers. The Parkinson’s group additionally completed three trials of sit to stand transfers in three conditions: external attentional focus of reaching to targets, external attentional focus of concurrent modeling, and explicit cue for internal attentional focus. Body worn sensors collected sway data, which was compared between groups with Mann Whitney U tests and between conditions with Friedman’s Tests. Sway normalized with modeling but was unchanged in the other conditions. Losses of balance presented with reaching towards targets and cueing for an internal attentional focus. Modeling during sit to stand of people with Parkinson’s disease may safely reduce sway more than other common cues.

Background: There are contradictory findings in the literature on whether an acute bout of aerobic exercise leads to a post-exercise improvement in cognitive function (CF). Moreover, participants used in the published literature are not representative of the racial make-up of sport or tactical populations. Methods: A randomized crossover design was incorporated, with participants randomly consuming water or a carbohydrate sports drink within the first 3 min of a graded maximal exercise test (GMET) conducted in a laboratory. Twelve self-identified African American participants, (seven males, five females, age = 21.42 ± 2.38 years, height = 174.94 ± 12.55 cm, mass = 82.45 ± 33.09 kg) completed both testing days. Participants completed the CF tests immediately pre- and post-GMET. CF was assessed with the Stroop color and word task (SCWT) and concentration task grid (CTG). Participants completed the GMET when they reported a score of 20 on the Borg ratings of perceived exertion scale. Results: Time to complete the SCWT incongruent task (p < 0.001) and CTG performance (p < 0.001) significantly improved post-GMET in both conditions. VO2max was positively correlated with pre- and post-GMET SCWT performance. Conclusions: The findings of our study suggest that an acute bout of maximal exercise significantly improves CF. Additionally, cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with CF in our sample of student athletes from a historically Black college and university.

College students can be sedentary for a majority of the day, which may exacerbate mental health issues or lead to declines in cognitive task performance; however, interventions to address sedentary behaviors may not positively influence everyone. Therefore, the present study sought to identify inter-individual cognitive performance and mood changes of college students during the performance of a cognitive task battery, while seated, standing and with intermittent bouts of walking. Participants (n = 31, age = 25.80 ± 3.61 yrs, 7 male) completed a series of baseline questionnaires including the Trait Mental and Physical Energy and Fatigue survey. Using a randomized controlled cross-over design, participants completed 3 separate testing sessions. At each session, they performed a series of three rounds of cognitive tasks for 27 min and self-reporting mood states for 1 min in the seated position. Each round of cognitive testing was followed by a 2 min break. Each testing day had participants spend the 2 min break in a different condition: sitting, standing, or walking. A series of mixed ANOVAs were used for the primary analysis and a combination of machine learning regressors and classifiers were used for the secondary analysis. Our results suggest that there are unique inter-individual responses to each of the interventions used during the 2 min break. Participants who were low-trait mental and low-trait physical energy benefited the most from the standing desk intervention, while also reporting significant benefits of intermittent walking. However, participants who were low-trait mental fatigue had significant negative consequences of using both standing desks and walking intermittently, while those who were high-trait mental fatigue saw no change in cognitive responses or moods in those conditions. Post hoc machine learning analyses had modest accuracy rates (MAEs < 0.7 for regressors and accuracy rates >60% for classifiers), suggesting that trait mental and physical energy and fatigue may predict inter-individual responses to these interventions. Incorporating standing desks into college classroom settings may result in some students receiving cognitive benefits when inter-individual variability in mood and cognitive responses are accounted for.

Noncommunicable chronic diseases are associated with lifestyle behaviors. Psychological and social factors may influence the adoption of such behaviors. Being mentally and physically energized or fatigued may influence the intention–behavior gap of healthy lifestyle adoption accordingly. We investigated the associations of age, sex, lifestyle behaviors, mood, and mental and physical energy and fatigue at both the trait and state levels. The participants (N = 670) completed questionnaires assessing their sleep, mood, mental and physical state energy and fatigue, physical activity, mental workload, and diet. The ordinary least squares regression models revealed an overlap between the mental state and trait energy levels for males who consume polyphenols, have a high mental workload, and sleep well. Being younger, having a high stress level, bad sleep habits, and being confused and depressed were associated with high mental fatigue. Physical energy and fatigue shared the same commonalities with the previous results, with greater discrepancies observed between the state and trait indicators compared to that between mental energy and fatigue. Diet and stress management seem to be predictors of high physical energy, and females report higher physical fatigue levels. Health care professionals should consider this psychosocial complex profiling in their differential diagnosis and when one is implementing lifestyle behavioral changes to address the facets of preventive medicine, wellness, and health promotion.

Failure to obtain the recommended 7–9 h of sleep has been associated with injuries in youth and adults. However, most research on the influence of prior night’s sleep and gait has been conducted on older adults and clinical populations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify individuals who experience partial sleep deprivation and/or sleep extension the prior night using single task gait. Participants (n = 123, age 24.3 ± 4.0 years; 65% female) agreed to participate in this study. Self-reported sleep duration of the night prior to testing was collected. Gait data was collected with inertial sensors during a 2 min walk test. Group differences (9 h, poor sleepers; 7–9 h, good sleepers) in gait characteristics were assessed using machine learning and a post-hoc ANCOVA. Results indicated a correlation (r = 0.79) between gait parameters and prior night’s sleep. The most accurate machine learning model was a Random Forest Classifier using the top 9 features, which had a mean accuracy of 65.03%. Our findings suggest that good sleepers had more asymmetrical gait patterns and were better at maintaining gait speed than poor sleepers. Further research with larger subject sizes is needed to develop more accurate machine learning models to identify prior night’s sleep using single-task gait.

Low-income older adults are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this perspective article, we review the context in which low-income older people experience the pandemic and the mental and physical health consequences they have faced to date. Then, we offer practical solutions to help improve low-income older adults' sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and stress that require no or low financial commitment. We argue that governments, communities, and organizations should make greater efforts to promote healthy living for low-income older adults in times of health emergencies to ensure their ability to be universally adopted, regardless of income and resources.

The objective of this study was to determine whether vision-occluded progressive resistance training would increase upper-extremity movement performance using the one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press. Participants (n = 57) were recruited from a historically black college and university (HBCU), cross-matched by sex, age (±1 year), 1-RM (±2.27 kg), 1-RM/weight (±0.1), and 1-RM/lean mass ratio (±0.1), and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (vision occluded) or the control group. Participants performed resistance training for 6 weeks prior to beginning the study, and 1-RM was assessed the week prior to the beginning of the study. Weight and body composition were measured using a BOD POD. Of the 57 participants who started the study, 34 completed the study (Experimental = 16, Control = 18) and were reassessed the week after completing the 6-week-long training protocol. Using a combination of Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, we found that when accounting for changes in lean muscle mass, individuals who trained with their vision occluded reported significantly greater improvements in 1-RM strength compared to those who did not (p < 0.05). The findings from our study suggest that vision-occluded progressive resistance training increases upper-extremity performance when assessed using the bench press. These findings may have significant practical implications in both sports and rehabilitation, as these techniques may be used to enhance performance in athletes and/or improve rehabilitation effectiveness.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered much of US life with shifts to working-from-home and social distancing changing day-to-day behavior. We aimed to determine the self-reported prevalence of meeting US physical activity guidelines, stratified by sitting time during the early lockdown phase of COVID-19 in US adults. We conducted two cross-sectional internet-based studies April 3rd-May 4th, 2020 in convenience samples of US adults. Participants self-reported daily sitting time and weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) via questions from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 5036 US adults (65.3% women, 30.2% with chronic conditions) provided complete physical activity and sitting time data (80.3% of total). Overall, 42.6% of participants reported sitting for > 8 h/day (95% CI: 41.2%–44.0%) and 72.5% (71.2%–73.7%) reported being either sufficiently (150–300 MVPA minutes) or highly active (>300 min). The greatest proportion of people self-reported being highly active and sitting for > 8 h/day (24.0%; 22.8%-25.2%), followed by being highly active and sitting for 6–8 h/day (20.9%; 19.8%–22.1%). Sitting and activity appeared similar between sexes, while there was evidence of some age differences. For example, more young adults (ages 18–34) appeared to self-report being inactive and more appeared to sit for > 8 h/day compared to older adults. High sitting time was reported by US adults (>40% sitting > 8 h/day) during April 2020. However, high levels of physical activity (>70% meeting guidelines) were also reported. Since physical activity cannot eliminate the negative health effects of sitting, maintaining activity and limiting sitting during periods of large workplace and societal shifts is encouraged.

Background: Psychological research considers traits as a long-standing pre-disposition to an individual’s mood, whereas short-term feelings are categorized as states. We previously reported similar overall acute mental performance benefits between an adaptogen-rich, caffeine-containing energy shot (e+Energy Shot–e+Shot; Isagenix International, LLC) and a caffeine-matched placebo Since the publication of that study, multiple studies have reported that trait mental and physical energy (TME/TPE), and trait mental and physical fatigue (TMF/TPF) status modify the effect of various interventions on neurocognitive performance. Therefore, we reevaluated our previously published work and accounted for the four traits. Methods: Participants (n = 30) completed a series of questionnaires to determine baseline trait energy and fatigue measures. Then, participants performed a 27 min battery of neurocognitive tasks before and three times after consuming the study beverages with 10 min breaks between each post-consumption battery of tests. Data from the previous study were re-analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Results: We now report that the adaptogen product significantly improved mood and cognitive test responses in individuals stratified by initial TME, TPE, TMF, and TPF status. Moreover, this reevaluation also indicated that the caffeine placebo significantly increased heart rate and blood pressure in those subjects initially characterized by low physical and mental energy. Conclusions: In summary, a post-hoc re-analysis of our initial study suggests that consumption of the adaptogen-rich, caffeine-containing product preferentially benefited individuals with initial low TME/TPE and high TMF status when compared to caffeine alone. These findings also support our previous study suggesting that adaptogens may promote mental and physical performance benefits while modulating potentially negatively associated responses to caffeine.

Literature suggests that anxiety affects gait and balance among young adults. However, previous studies using machine learning (ML) have only used gait to identify individuals who report feeling anxious. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify individuals who report feeling anxious at that time using a combination of gait and quiet balance ML. Using a cross-sectional design, participants (n = 88) completed the Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form (POMS-SF) to measure current feelings of anxiety and were then asked to complete a modified Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) and a two-minute walk around a 6 m track while wearing nine APDM mobility sensors. Results from our study finds that Random Forest classifiers had the highest median accuracy rate (75%) and the five top features for identifying anxious individuals were all gait parameters (turn angles, variance in neck, lumbar rotation, lumbar movement in the sagittal plane, and arm movement). Post-hoc analyses suggest that individuals who reported feeling anxious also walked using gait patterns most similar to older individuals who are fearful of falling. Additionally, we find that individuals who are anxious also had less postural stability when they had visual input; however, these individuals had less movement during postural sway when visual input was removed.

The objective of this study was to use machine learning to identify feelings of energy and fatigue using single-task walking gait. Participants (n = 126) were recruited from a university community and completed a single protocol where current feelings of energy and fatigue were measured using the Profile of Moods Survey–Short Form approximately 2 min prior to participants completing a two-minute walk around a 6 m track wearing APDM mobility monitors. Gait parameters for upper and lower extremity, neck, lumbar and trunk movement were collected. Gradient boosting classifiers were the most accurate classifiers for both feelings of energy (74.3%) and fatigue (74.2%) and Random Forest Regressors were the most accurate regressors for both energy (0.005) and fatigue (0.007). ANCOVA analyses of gait parameters comparing individuals who were high or low energy or fatigue suggest that individuals who are low energy have significantly greater errors in walking gait compared to those who are high energy. Individuals who are high fatigue have more symmetrical gait patterns and have trouble turning when compared to their low fatigue counterparts. Furthermore, these findings support the need to assess energy and fatigue as two distinct unipolar moods as the signals used by the algorithms were unique to each mood.

The objective of this study was to identify the associations between trait energy and fatigue with state energy fatigue, as well as exploring if these relationships interacted with sex and/or sleep quality. The study population included a convenience sample of adults and college students (n ranges from 687 to 694). Key measures were state and trait mental and physical energy and fatigue scales, PSQI (a measure of sleep quality), and sex. Multiple regression models included age, polyphenol consumption, POMS scores, physical activity, mental load, and caffeine consumption as covariates. Analyses yielded a strong (r = .65) positive association between each trait and state variable. Overall, several statistically significant interactions were identified. First, the relationship between state and trait physical fatigue was particularly strong for women with high trait scores. There were also interactions with sleep quality. In the case of physical fatigue, poor sleep quality magnified the association between physical fatigue trait and state among those with low trait physical fatigue, while sleep quality did not make a difference for those with high trait physical fatigue. Conversely, in the case of physical energy and mental fatigue, good sleep quality was associated with both higher "highs" and lower "lows" of their respective traits; both interactions were present only among males. Our analyses suggest that sleep quality and sex could influence the effects of trait physical and mental energy and fatigue on state. Findings were more complex than initially assumed, suggesting that the interrelationship between trait and state may be modified by how males and females react and adapt to their trait.

Recent scientific evidence suggests that traits energy and fatigue are two unique unipolar moods with distinct mental and physical components. This exploratory study investigated the correlation between mental energy (ME), mental fatigue (MF), physical energy (PE), physical fatigue (PF), and the gut microbiome. The four moods were assessed by survey, and the gut microbiome and metabolome were determined from 16 S rRNA analysis and untargeted metabolomics analysis, respectively. Twenty subjects who were 31 ± 5 y, physically active, and not obese (26.4 ± 4.4 kg/m2) participated. Bacteroidetes (45%), the most prominent phyla, was only negatively correlated with PF. The second most predominant and butyrate-producing phyla, Firmicutes (43%), had members that correlated with each trait. However, the bacteria Anaerostipes was positively correlated with ME (0.048, p = 0.032) and negatively with MF (−0.532, p = 0.016) and PF (−0.448, p = 0.048), respectively. Diet influences the gut microbiota composition, and only one food group, processed meat, was correlated with the four moods—positively with MF (0.538, p = 0.014) and PF (0.513, p = 0.021) and negatively with ME (−0.790, p < 0.001) and PE (−0.478, p = 0.021). Only the Firmicutes genus Holdemania was correlated with processed meat (r = 0.488, p = 0.029). Distinct metabolic profiles were observed, yet these profiles were not significantly correlated with the traits. Study findings suggest that energy and fatigue are unique traits that could be defined by distinct bacterial communities not driven by diet. Larger studies are needed to confirm these exploratory findings.

Cognitive fatigue is an alteration in central nervous system (CNS) processing due to prolonged performance of mentally demanding tasks. Decreased gait speed and increased stride length variability have been noted in cognitively fatigued older adults (≥65 years). Further, cognitive fatigue may weaken the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems of the CNS, contributing to increased postural sway. Detriments in gait and sway caused by cognitive fatigue could increase fall risk. The objective of this literature review was to evaluate the impact of cognitive fatigue on changes in gait and postural sway and its role in fall risk.

Multiple studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms influence the neurocognitive effects of caffeine. Using data collected from a double-blinded, within-participants, randomized, cross-over design, this study examined the effects of trait (long-standing pre-disposition) mental and physical energy and fatigue to changes in moods (Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form (POMS-SF), state mental and physical energy and fatigue survey), cognitive (serial subtractions of 3 (SS3) and 7 (SS7)), and fine-motor task (nine-hole peg test) performance after consuming a caffeinated beverage and a non-caffeinated placebo. Results indicate that trait mental and physical fatigue and mental energy modified the effects of caffeine on vigor, tension-anxiety, physical, and mental fatigue. Additionally, we report that those who were high trait physical and mental fatigue and low-trait mental energy reported the greatest benefit of caffeine on the SS3 and SS7, while those who were high trait mental and physical fatigue reported the greatest benefit of consuming caffeine on fine-motor task performance. The results of our study suggest that trait mental and physical fatigue and mental energy modify the acute effects of caffeine among a group of healthy, young adults and should be measured and controlled for by researchers who choose to study the effects of caffeine on acute moods and cognitive and fine-motor task performance.

Objective: This study determined the frequency, reasons for, and side effects of energy drinks (ED) consumption among online students. Participants: Students attending an online university. Methods: Participants were recruited by email and completed a 59-question survey about their prior months ED practices using a combination of validated surveys previously published examining similar constructs in on-campus students. Results: 307 students (age = 32.4 ± 6.5yrs) completed the survey, and 88% reported consuming EDs. Students' reasons for consuming ED included school (p < 0.001), work (p < 0.001), an event/competition (p < 0.001), pick me up (p < 0.001), lack of rest (p < 0.001), more energy (p < 0.001), and staying awake while driving (p < 0.001). Only individuals who consumed >10 ED/month reported side effects of headaches (p = 0.01) and speeding (p = 0.01). Conclusions: In our sample, a majority of the participants reported consuming ED for various daily activities. Only frequent consumers reported side effects suggesting they had become habituated to caffeine since they drank EDs despite experiencing side effects.

Objective: To investigate the influence of grit on physical activity, sleep and diet in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: 125 undergraduate students participated in the study. Participants completed an online survey while enrolled in an online class during June, 2020. Methods: The online questionairre featured the following validated survey instruments: International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants Short Form and the grit short form. Effects of grit on lifestyle behaviors were explored using several statistical approaches. Results: We found that individuals with more grit reported better eating and sleeping behaviors compared to those with less grit. However, we did not find an influence of grit on physical activity or sitting time. Conclusion: Our findings support that personality traits encompassed in grit contribute to college students reporting healthier dietary habits and better sleep quality during a global pandemic.

Using a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, within-participants, randomized, cross-over design, we examined the neurocognitive effects of a: (a) caffeine-containing, adaptogenic herbal-rich natural energy shot (e+ shot), (b) a matched caffeine-containing shot (caffeine), and, (c) a placebo. Participants (n = 30) were low consumers of caffeine without elevated feelings of energy. Before and three times after beverage consumption, a 27-min battery was used to assess motivation to perform cognitive tasks, mood, attention ((serial subtractions of 3 (SS3) and 7 (SS7), the continuous performance task (CPT), and the rapid visual input processing tasks)), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and motor coordination (nine-hole peg test) with a 10-min break between each post-consumption battery. The procedure was repeated for each beverage for each participant at least 48 h apart and within 30 min the same time of day using a random group assignment with blinding of researchers and subjects. To evaluate for changes in outcomes, a Treatment × Time analysis of covariance controlling for hours of prior night’s sleep was used. Analysis of all outcomes and all treatment comparisons indicated that compared to placebo, both e+ shot ( Δ ¯ = 2.60; η2 = 0.098) and caffeine ( Δ ¯ = 5.30, η2 = 0.098) increased systolic BP 30 min post consumption (still within normal healthy ranges). The caffeine beverage also led to an improvement in most cognitive measures and moods 30-min post-consumption with improvements tapering at 69 and 108 min, while e+ shot noted more steady improvements with no significant differences between beverages on most cognitive and mood measures at 69 and 108 min. However, compared to caffeine, e+shots noted a significant decrease in reaction time at 108 min, while caffeine noted a small change in the opposite direction. No side-effects were reported by any intervention. These results suggest that the specific blend of adaptogens in e+ shot may modulate the neurocognitive effects of caffeine on mood, and cognition.

Objectives: To evaluate how sleep quality predicts the trait aspect of mental and physical energy versus fatigue within a healthy non-obese adult population. Material and Methods: A study population of 495 adults completed an online survey concerning trait energy and fatigue as well as sleep quality. Bivariate and adjusted analysis examined whether sleep quality, measured from the Pittsburgh sleep quality instrument, associated with physical and mental trait energy and fatigue (4 separate constructs). Adjusted analysis included caffeine consumption, polyphenol consumption, current mood, perceived mental workload, and physical activity. Results: Bivariate analysis showed that both physical and mental fatigue were associated with sleep quality, while physical and mental energy were not. However, after adjustment for potential confounders, sleep quality was associated with mental fatigue and physical energy (not physical fatigue).Conclusion: Findings suggest that improvement in sleep quality among healthy young adults may affect certain aspects of physical versus mental energy and fatigue more strongly than others.