Nootropic spearmint extract may improve reactive agility, according to new study
Nootropic spearmint extract containing rosmarinic acid may support reactive agility.
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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition1 tested changes in reactive agility after supplementation with a nootropic spearmint extract containing rosmarinic acid (Neumentix by Kemin Industries, Inc.; Des Moines, IA).
In the study, 142 healthy, recreationally active men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 years were randomized to either take 900 mg of spearmint extract or placebo for 90 days. Measurements of reactive agility were taken at days 7, 30, and 90 of supplementation through a 360-degree audio-visual device that measures stationary, lateral, and multidirectional active choice reaction performance. The device consisted of a triangle with three towers that had 16 targets each. The subjects stood in the middle of the triangle and struck the targets based on visual and auditory stimuli. Researchers determined reactive agility by measuring the number of hits and average reaction time.
Results showed that supplementation with the spearmint extract did improve stationary and multidirectional markers of reactive agility when both hand and foot strikes are involved. Both stationary and multidirectional tests showed significant improvements in the number of hits observed at days 30 and 90 of supplementation, and in stationary tests significant improvements in reaction time were observed at days 7 and 30. “The ability to rapidly shift attention between hand and foot strikes could have practical relevance to sport-specific athletic performance,” write the researchers. These can include martial arts as well as other sports that require the hand-eye coordination such as baseball, basketball, volleyball, or tennis.
References:
1. 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
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