Efficacy of a Microalgae Extract PhaeoSOL Combined With Natural Stimulant on Cognitive Function and Gaming Performance of Video Gamers

NCT04851899 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IRB2021-0219
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Considering the important growing development of gaming in the world, this research area has developed considerably over the last few years. Even if it seems to be well admitted that video gamers showed better cognitive functions (e.g. visual selective attention, cognitive flexibility, task switching) parameters compared to non video gamers there is a constant concern for optimizing performance as for all other kind of athletes. However to our knowledge, only one randomized controlled trial have investigated the potential benefits of dietary supplementation on cognitive function and performance in video gamers. The use of microalgea as molecule of interest sources is a recent promising approach also to meet societal challenge as the maintain of biodiversity/landscape. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine whether acute (single-dose) and chronic (1 month) supplementation of Microphyt's phaeosol ingredients (BrainPhyt) ingested with or without a natural stimulant, would affect cognitive function and gaming performance in experienced video gamers.

Conditions

Cognitive Function; Video Gamers

Keywords

Fucoxanthin; Microalgae; Gaming performance; E-sports; Cognitive performance; Energy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Reaction time

  Change in reaction time - Light tracking test

  From week 0 to week 4

• General attention

  Change in general attention score - Go no go task test

  From week 0 to week 4

• Sustained attention

  Change in sustained attention score - Psychomotor vigilance task test

  From week 0 to week 4

• Attention shifting

  Change in attention shifting score - Berg-Washington card sorting task test

  From week 0 to week 4

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Gaming performance

  From week 0 to week 4

• Mood state

  From week 0 to week 4

• Sleep quality

  From week 0 to week 4

• Eyes irritability

  From week 0 to week 4

• Global fatigue

  From week 0 to week 4

Study Arms (3)

Low dose Phaeosol group

EXPERIMENTAL

1 Phaeosol softgel of 440mg/day and 1 placebo softgel of 440mg/day look like softgel of Phaeosol product) + 1 capsule of 440mg/day of natural stimulant

Dietary Supplement: Phaeosol low dose

High dose Phaeosol group

EXPERIMENTAL

2 Phaeosol softgels of 440mg/day + 1 capsule of 440mg/day of natural stimulant

Dietary Supplement: Phaeosol high dose

Placebo group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

2 placebo softgels of 440mg/day (look like softgel of Phaeosol product) + 1 capsule of 440mg/day containing Microcellulose (look like capsule of natural stimulant)

Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Interventions

Phaeosol low dose DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

1 Phaeosol softgel of 440mg/day and 1 placebo softgel of 500mg/day (look like softgel of Phaeosol product) + 1 capsule of 440mg/day of natural stimulant Subjects were instructed to take the study supplement or placebo once daily for 1 months (±2 days). The first and the last doses will be administered at the clinical site during Visit 2 (Experiment 1) and Visit 3 (Experiment 2, respectively).

Low dose Phaeosol group

Phaeosol high dose DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

2 Phaeosol softgels of 440mg/day + 1 capsule of 440mg/day of natural stimulant. Subjects were instructed to take the study supplement or placebo once daily for 1 months (±2 days). The first and the last doses will be administered at the clinical site during Visit 2 (Experiment 1) and Visit 3 (Experiment 2, respectively).

High dose Phaeosol group

Placebo DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

2 placebo softgels of 440mg/day (look like softgel of Phaeosol product) + 1 capsule of 500mg/day containing Microcellulose (look like capsule of natural stimulant). Subjects were instructed to take the study supplement or placebo once daily for 1 months (±2 days). The first and the last doses will be administered at the clinical site during Visit 2 (Experiment 1) and Visit 3 (Experiment 2, respectively).

Placebo group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy men and women;
• Between 18 and 40 years;
• Self-reported history of playing video games for 5 or more hours per week for 6 months prior to screening;
• BMI between 18 and 34.9 Kg/m2 ;
• Subjects agreed to supply their own operator-oriented action or strategy video game that they had played at least 21 times over the last 3 months;
• No recent ingestion (\<2weeks) of dietary supplement that affect cognitive function;
• Be able to give written informed consent and to consume the investigational product daily for the duration of the study;
• Is free-living (living in a private home, alone or with family, and able to maintain their health and hygiene without assistance)
• Willing to maintain consistent sleep duration the evening before study visits.
• Are agreed to continue their patterned use of the game between study visits

You may not qualify if:

• refrain from caffeine and alcohol for 12 hours prior to each study visits;
• consume dietary supplements that may affect cognition and/or with a stimulant effect (e.g. guarana, cocoa, ginseng, bacopa, Gingko biloba, guayusa, yerba mate, energy drinks, other products containing fucoxanthin) at least 7 days before Visit 2 ;
• are women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or wish to become pregnant during the study;
• have an untreated psychotic or major depressive disorder or any history of cognitive deficit;
• have an uncontrolled hypertension/diabetes/thyroid/heart disease disease, cancer etc.);
• have a significant neurological disease;
• have planned major changes in lifestyle (i.e. diet, dieting, exercise level, travelling) during the duration of the study;
• have a history within previous 12 months of alcohol or substance abuse;
• have known allergy to any of the ingredients in the supplement product
• are not willing to supply their own gaming system and/or game

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Microphyt: lead
• Texas A&M University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab

College Station, Texas, 77843-4253, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Leonard M, Maury J, Dickerson B, Gonzalez DE, Kendra J, Jenkins V, Nottingham K, Yoo C, Xing D, Ko J, Pradelles R, Faries M, Kephart W, Sowinski R, Rasmussen CJ, Kreider RB. Effects of Dietary Supplementation of a Microalgae Extract Containing Fucoxanthin Combined with Guarana on Cognitive Function and Gaming Performance. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 15;15(8):1918. doi: 10.3390/nu15081918.

  PMID: 37111136 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Richard Kreider, Professor

  Texas A&M University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 15, 2021
• First Posted: April 21, 2021
• Study Start: April 26, 2021
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2022
• Study Completion: June 1, 2022
• Last Updated: September 23, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)