Study: Phosphatidylserine Improves Cognitive Function Before, After Exercise

An 18-subject human study indicates that consuming phosphatidylserine (PS) may improve cognitive function before exercise, reports Chemi Nutra (White Bear Lake, MN), supplier of the SerinAid brand of PS. The study was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition and sponsored by Chemi Nutra.

“Making quick decisions and reducing the amount of errors at the beginning of a competition are crucial to the success in team sports and individual events,” stated Chemi Nutra in a press release. “Improved cognitive function could benefit athletes and non-athletes in situations of mental and physical stress alike. PS has previously been shown to reduce stress and increase performance in runners, cyclists, and golfers.”

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study looked at whether 14 days of supplementation with 400 mg of PS (in the form of the dietary supplement IQ Plus Focus) would improve cognitive function prior to and after a stress-inducing resistance-exercise bout. Eighteen males ages 18 to 30 participated in the study.

Cognitive performance was measured by the serial subtraction test (SST), “a validated method in which subjects repeatedly subtracted the number 7 from a random 4-digit number.”