A recent study published in the Journal of Sleep Research investigated the impact of a ketogenic diet on cognitive performance, mood, and sleepiness during an extended period of wakefulness among military personnel. The researchers found that a ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates and increases the production of ketone bodies, had positive effects on these factors compared to a carbohydrate-based diet.
Sleep deprivation is a common issue among military personnel and has been associated with a decline in cerebral carbohydrates (CHO), which are the primary energy source for the brain. This decline in CHO is known to be linked to reduced cognitive performance. In contrast, a ketogenic diet promotes the production of ketone bodies, which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain and reduce the reliance on glucose.
The study involved seven male military personnel who followed either a carbohydrate-based or a ketogenic-based diet for 14 days. On the last day of the dietary adaptation period, the participants stayed awake for 36 hours. The researchers measured cognitive performance, subjective sleepiness, mood, capillary blood glucose levels, and ketone bodies at different intervals following each meal.
The researchers used the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to assess response times, the Stanford Sleepiness Scale to measure subjective sleepiness levels, and a mood scale to gauge fatigue and vigor. They found that blood ketone levels were higher in the ketogenic diet group compared to the carbohydrate-based diet group. Additionally, the participants in the ketogenic diet group showed better cognitive performance, with faster reaction times, fewer lapses, and higher mean scores in the PVT. They also reported lower subjective sleepiness, reduced fatigue, and increased vigor compared to the carbohydrate-based diet group.
In conclusion, the study demonstrated that a two-week ketogenic diet had beneficial effects on cognitive performance, mood, and sleepiness during 36 hours of extended wakefulness in male military personnel. However, further research using study designs that closely resemble real-world military operations and larger, more diverse sample populations is necessary to assess the safety and performance effects before implementing ketogenic diets in this community.
The study, “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,” was authored by Lydia Rose Henderson, Margo van den Berg, and David M. Shaw.