An international team of scientists from the United Kingdom and Canada examined the effects of energy stress on spatial reasoning ability. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine American Journal of Biological Anthropology (AJBA).
Energy stress occurs when the body is forced to expend large amounts of energy over a long period of time.
Experts decided to investigate how changes in energy needs force the body to allocate available resources. To do this, they examined 48 participants in ultramarathons, five-day races held in Jordan and Sri Lanka. According to the conditions of the competition, athletes had to cover a distance of 150 to 160 km at a temperature of 28 to 35 °C.
After the competition, the athletes were administered a series of neurocognitive tests. They showed that severe energetic stress combined with weight loss improved participants’ spatial perception in a grueling race. However, fatigue reduced episodic memory.
“Weight loss reflecting fat/muscle breakdown (as opposed to dehydration – athletes had the opportunity to hydrate before mid-race weigh-ins and cognitive testing) was likely responsible for the observed cognitive flexibility,” the study authors noted. .
Scientists believe that when energy is scarce, the brain prioritizes spatial memory so that a person can quickly find a source of calories.
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