Short-term Effect of Caffeine and Melatonin Supplementation on Cognitive Performance Indices in Soldiers Following Nocturnal Sleep Deprivation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Shahid Sattari Aviation University, Tehran, Iran

2 PhD in Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran

3 PhD in Exercise Physiology, Baqiyatallah University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose:
Sleep deprivation can negatively impact cognitive function and working memory. This study investigates the effects of caffeine and melatonin supplementation on these indices in soldiers.
Method:
The present study was semi-experimental and applied with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical sample comprised 55 soldiers divided into 5 groups: sleep deprivation-caffeine (10 subjects), sleep deprivation-melatonin (10 subjects), sleep deprivation-placebo (10 subjects), melatonin-sleep (10 subjects), and full sleep (10 subjects). The Functional Movement Screening (FMS) were used to measure functional performance and working memory (N-BACK) variables, respectively. Cognitive and functional indices were measured for all subjects after a normal night’s sleep. Subjects in all groups consumed 400 mg of caffeine, melatonin, or a placebo after 28 hours of sleep deprivation, and then all pre-test procedures were repeated after 30 hours. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28 and a one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures. The Bonferroni post-hoc test was used to compare within-group differences in results.
Result:
The effect of the group factor on performance index (p<0.001) (η2=0.402), accuracy (1-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.504), reaction time (1-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.449), accuracy (2-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.469), and reaction time (2-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.510) were significantly different between groups (Table 2). In addition, the interaction effect of time*group on the performance index (p<0.001) (η2=0.836), accuracy (1-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.656), reaction time (1-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.740), accuracy (2-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.476), and reaction time (2-back) (p<0.001) (η2=0.797) had significant differences betweengroups.
Conclusion:
Caffeine and melatonin supplements can significantly improve working memory and performance in sleep-deprived soldiers. However, more research is needed to determine optimal dosage and timing, as well as to investigate long-term side effects. Application of these supplements should be limited to specific conditions and under medical supervision to achieve the best results and avoid potential risks.

Keywords

References

  1. Williams SG, Collen J, Wickwire E, Lettieri CJ, Mysliwiec V. The impact of sleep on soldier performance. Current psychiatry rep 2014; 16(8): 459.
  2. Stanley N. The physiology of sleep and the impact of ageing. European Urology Supplements 2005; 3(6): 17-23.
  3. Devine JK, Choynowski J, Collen J, Capaldi V. 0854 Prevalence of Sleep Disorders and Medication Use among Active Duty Army for Fiscal Year 2018. Sleep 2019; 42(1): A342-A343.
  4. Bianchi MT. Sleep deprivation and disease: effects on the body, brain and behavior: Springer Science & Business Media 2013.
  5. Rognum TO, Vartdal F, Rodahl K, Opstad PK, et al. Physical and mental performance of soldiers on high-and low-energy diets during prolonged heavy exercise combined with sleep deprivation. Ergonomics 1986; 29(7): 859-867.
  6. Scribner DR, Wiley PH, Harper WH. The effect of continuous operations and various secondary task displays on soldier shooting performance. Army Research Lab Aberdeen Proving Ground 2007.
  7. Babkoff H, Mikulincer M, Caspy T, Carasso RL, et al. The implications of sleep loss for circadian performance accuracy. Work & Stress 1989; 3(1): 3-14.
  8. Penetar D, McCann U, Thorne D, Schelling A, et al. Effects of caffeine on cognitive performance mood and alertness in sleep-deprived humans. Food components to enhance performance 1994; 407-431.
  9. Irwin C, Khalesi S, Desbrow B, McCartney D. Effects of acute caffeine consumption following sleep loss on cognitive, physical, occupational and driving performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108: 877-888.
  10. Kamimori GH, McLellan TM, Tate CM, Voss DM, et al. Caffeine improves reaction time, vigilance and logical reasoning during extended periods with restricted opportunities for sleep. Psychopharmacology 2015; 232(12): 2031-2042.
  11. Killgore WD, Kahn-Greene ET, Grugle NL, Killgore DB, Balkin TJ. Sustaining executive functions during sleep deprivation: a comparison of caffeine, dextroamphetamine, and modafinil. Sleep 2009; 32(2): 205-216.
  12. Du P, Du C, Wang R, Zhu H, et al. Caffeine combined with taurine improves cognitive function and locomotor performance in sleep-deprived mice. Journal of Functional Foods 2022; 99: 105298.
  13. Emet M, Ozcan H, Ozel L, Yayla M, et al.  review of melatonin, its receptors and drugs. Eurasian J Med 2016; 48(2): 135-141.
  14. Halson SL. Sleep and the elite athlete. Sports sci 2013; 26(113): 1-4.
  15. Arazi H, Mehrabani J, Irandoost M, Khaleghimamaghani E. Effects of Overnight Sleep Deprivation on Appetite and Physical Performance in Elite Female Soccer Players. Journal of Turkish Sleep Medicine 2019; 6(3): 93-97.
  16. Fox JL, Scanlan AT, Stanton R, Sargent C. Insufficient sleep in young athletes? Causes, consequences, and potential treatments. Sports Med 2020; 50(3): 461-470.
  17. Besharat M. Reliability and Validity of a short form of the Mental Health Inventory in an Iranian population. Iran J Forensic Med 2009; 15 (2) :87-91.
  18. Hosseinabadi R. The relationship between daily nap and night time sleep quality in elderly. Caring Today 2009; 4(12-13): 5-12.
  19. Chen X, Zhang L, Yang D, Li C, et al. Effects of caffeine on event-related potentials and neuropsychological indices after sleep deprivation. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14: 108.
  20. Moradi M, Aliakbari_Baydokhty M, Ghofrani M. The Effect of Eight Weeks of Combined Exercise with and Without Supplementation of Cinnamon on Hematological and Liver Enzymes AST, ALT, and ALP in Female Amphetamine Addicts. Scientific Quarterly Research on Addiction. 2018; 12(47): 269-286.
  21. Crane MF, Hazel G, Kunzelmann A, Kho M, et al. An exploratory domain analysis of deployment risks and protective features and their association to mental health, cognitive functioning and job performance in military personnel. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping 2024; 37(1): 16-28.
  22. Mortazavi SMJ, Shahram T, Dehghan N. Alterations of visual reaction time and short term memory in military radar personnel. Iran J Public Health 2013; 42(4): 428.
  23. SeyedPurmand NS, Issazadegan A, Soleimani E. intolerance of uncertainty. Psychological Science 2022; 21(113): 939-952.
  24. Izraelski J. Movement: functional movement systems: screening, assessment, and corrective strategies. J Can Chiropr Assoc 2012; 56(2): 158.
  25. Lin Y-S, Weibel J, Landolt H-P, Santini F, et al. Brain activity during a working memory task after daily caffeine intake and caffeine withdrawal: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Sci Rep 2023; 13(1): 1002.
  26. Stepan ME, Altmann EM, Fenn KM. Caffeine selectively mitigates cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. Journal of experimental psychology: learning, memory, and cognition. 2021; 47(9): 1371.
  27. Xie G, Huang X, Li H, Wang P, Huang P. Caffeine-related effects on cognitive performance: Roles of apoptosis in rat hippocampus following sleep deprivation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2021; 8: 632-638.
  28. Chaudhary NS, Taylor BV, Grandner MA, Troxel WM, Chakravorty S. The effects of caffeinated products on sleep and functioning in the military population: A focused review. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 2021; 206: 173206.
  29. Lin Y-S, Weibel J, Landolt H-P, Santini F, et al. Working memory performance after daily caffeine intake: Compromised performance and reduced hippocampal activity. bioRxiv 2021; (04): 440520.
  30. Lestari LI, Kusrohmaniah S. Effects of caffeine intake and performance pressure on working memory. Psikohumaniora: J Penelit Psikologi 2023; 8(1): 137-162.
  31. Wang X, Wang Z, Cao J, Dong Y, Chen Y. Melatonin alleviates acute sleep deprivation-induced memory loss in mice by suppressing hippocampal ferroptosis. Front pharmacol 2021; 12: 708645.
  32. Zhang YM, Wei RM, Li ZY, Li XY, et al. Melatonin improves maternal sleep deprivation induced learning and memory impairment, inflammation, and synaptic dysfunction in murine male adult offspring. Brain Behav 2024; 14(5): e3515.
Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation
Volume 14, Issue 2
August 2025
Pages 7-19

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics