The effect of a 2 week ketogenic diet, versus a carbohydrate-based diet, on cognitive performance, mood and subjective sleepiness during 36 h of extended wakefulness in military personnel: An exploratory study

Henderson LRvan den Berg MShaw D2023-08-102023-09-042023-02-032023-08-102023-09-042023-08Henderson LR, van den Berg M, Shaw DM. (2023). The effect of a 2 week ketogenic diet, versus a carbohydrate-based diet, on cognitive performance, mood and subjective sleepiness during 36 h of extended wakefulness in military personnel: An exploratory study.. J Sleep Res. 32. 4. (pp. e13832-).0962-1105http://hdl.handle.net/10179/19922Extended wakefulness, or sleep deprivation, impairs cognitive performance and brain glucose metabolism. A ketogenic diet (KD) provides an alternative fuel source, ketone bodies, that could elicit a metabolic benefit during sleep deprivation. A randomised, cross-over trial was conducted with seven male military personnel. Participants ingested an iso-energetic ketogenic diet or carbohydrate-based diet for 14 days, immediately followed by 36 h of extended wakefulness and separated by a 12 day washout. Cognitive performance, mood, subjective sleepiness, capillary blood glucose, and D-β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured every 2 h during extended wakefulness. Linear mixed models were used to analyse data. D-β-hydroxybutyrate was higher (p < 0.001) and glucose was lower (p < 0.01) on the KD compared with the carbohydrate-based diet. The KD improved psychomotor vigilance task performance (number of lapses, mean reciprocal response time, mean fastest 10% response time (RT), and mean slowest 10% RT; all p < 0.05), running memory continuous performance test performance (RT and number of correct responses per minute; both p < 0.01), and vigour, fatigue, and sleepiness (all, p ≤ 0.001) compared with the carbohydrate-based diet. In conclusion, a KD demonstrated beneficial effects on cognitive performance, mood, and sleepiness during 36 h of extended wakefulness compared with a carbohydrate-based diet.e13832-CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/fatigue managementketo-adaptationketosispsychomotor vigilance taskrandomised controlled trialsleep deprivationHumansMaleWakefulnessSleep DeprivationDiet, KetogenicSleepinessMilitary Personnel3-Hydroxybutyric AcidPsychomotor PerformanceCognitionCarbohydratesSleepThe effect of a 2 week ketogenic diet, versus a carbohydrate-based diet, on cognitive performance, mood and subjective sleepiness during 36 h of extended wakefulness in military personnel: An exploratory studyJournal article10.1111/jsr.138321365-28692023-08-10Massey_Darkjournal-article