Medical Nootropics that improve motor reaction time

AI Thread Summary
Spearmint extract and lemon balm have been shown to enhance motor reaction times in sports such as ball games and martial arts, alongside improving mental cognition. The active compound responsible for this effect appears to be rosmarinic acid, although the exact mechanism remains unclear. Research indicates that effective dosages of rosmarinic acid may exceed those typically found in culinary herbs. Concerns about the reliability of the studies, including potential researcher bias and small sample sizes, have been raised, suggesting a need for more robust evidence. Overall, while initial findings are promising, further research is necessary to confirm these effects and their practical implications.
hilbert2
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TL;DR Summary
Plant extracts containing rosmarinic acid improve your reaction time in sports.
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hilbert2 said:
Summary: Plant extracts containing rosmarinic acid improve your reaction time in sports.

Spearmint extract and lemon balm have an effect of making you faster in ball games and martial arts, not only improving mental cognition.

https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/...-improve-reactive-agility-according-new-study

The active compound in it seems to be rosmarinic acid, and it's not known how it causes this effect, as far as I know.
Studies on renal function. Also a link with creatinine which is used a supplement by athletes by performance.

Not sure of the direct link though if there is one.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691514000799
 
This is the paper:
Falcone P.H. et al, “Efficacy of a nootropic spearmint extract on reactive agility: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15 (2018): 58-72

Link to clinicaltrials.gov:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02518165

I'm not sure what it means on a practical level: rosmarinic acid has an effect at dosages that appear to be greater than foods/herbs that contain it.

Rosmarinic acid, named after rosemary, is a polyphenol constituent of many culinary herbs, including rosemary, perilla, sage, mint, and basil.
link to abstract:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608001520
Rosmarinic acid is ~4%- 6% of dry weight in culinary rosemary. - from source behind paywall.

Neumentix supplement:
From Amazon ad: label on swanson supplement is 14.5% rosmarinic acid (Neumentix supplement)
 
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Good thing they have reaction time testing in some sports...

1661900625108.png

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/drag-racing-starting-lights.html
 
jim mcnamara said:
This is the paper:
Falcone P.H. et al, “Efficacy of a nootropic spearmint extract on reactive agility: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15 (2018): 58-72

Link to clinicaltrials.gov:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02518165

I'm not sure what it means on a practical level: rosmarinic acid has an effect at dosages that appear to be greater than foods/herbs that contain it.link to abstract:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608001520
Rosmarinic acid is ~4%- 6% of dry weight in culinary rosemary. - from source behind paywall.

Neumentix supplement:
From Amazon ad: label on swanson supplement is 14.5% rosmarinic acid (Neumentix supplement)
This suffers from most of the problems seen in this sort of study - there is the obvious risk of researcher bias, there is a small number of subjects and the raw data looks far less impressive than the analysis. I didn't see any attempt to control the effects of repeated practice on the scores. I am also aware that this claimed activity isn't usually mentioned in the traditional uses the source's of this compound.
We usually need to wait until there is a sufficient and consistent evidence base when looking at these small scale studies, and so far its difficult to see where this finding is likely to lead.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30541572/
 
@Laroxe Yes it is a "polluted research paper". Thanks. I meant to point that out. The term comes from Robert Lustig MN prof who has researched pediatric NAFLD and sugar for years.

Nutrition research and supplement research suffer from the problem. A percentage, not all.
 
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