Impact of a carbohydrate mouth rinse on corticomotor excitability after mental fatigue in healthy college-aged subjects

Mental Fatigue (MF) has been associated with reduced physical performance but the mechanisms underlying this result are unclear. A reduction in excitability of the corticomotor system is a way mental fatigue could negatively impact physical performance. Carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinse (MR) has been shown to increase corticomotor excitability. The purpose of this study was to determine if CHO MR impacts corticomotor excitability after MF. Fifteen subjects (nine females, six males; age = 23 ± 1 years; height = 171 ± 2 cm; body mass = 69 ± 3 kg; BMI = 23.8 ± 0.7) completed two sessions under different MR conditions (Placebo (PLAC), 6.4% glucose (CHO)) separated by at least 48 h and applied in a double-blinded randomized fashion. Motor-evoked potential (MEP) of the left first dorsal interosseous (FDI) was determined by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) before and after MF. Perceived MF was recorded before and after the MF task using a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS). MF was greater following PLAC (+30.4 ± 4.0 mm) than CHO (+19.4 ± 3.9 mm) ( = 0.005). MEP was reduced more following PLAC (-16.6 ± 4.4%) than CHO (-3.7 ± 4.7%) ( < 0.001). CHO MR was successful at attenuating the reduction in corticomotor excitability after MF. Carbohydrate mouth rinse may be a valuable tool at combating the negative consequences of mental fatigue.