Hangry for Brain-Aid: 9 Powerful Preventors of Brain Bonk
Learners report increased cravings for literal food while their brains binge on new intellectual material, a recent poll suggests.
Could "starving student" mean something beyond the limited finances of full-time study? What can we learn from the Cognitive Metabolism of Mathletes?
Beyond the Uni-years, do race-paced brains get Hangry? If we are competing in a purely intellectual 'ultra' do we need day-glow fluids to keep us from hitting that wall?
The adult brain is about 2% of the body weight. yet,
uses around 20% of the oxygen and calories consumed by the body (1).
This high rate of metabolism is remarkably constant
despite widely varying mental and motoric activity...
[and is] remarkably constant over time." (10)
Cognitive Metabolism
Scientifically quantifying the metabolic needs of intellectual exertion has been tricky. Try writing about it!
But, "...in most cases, short periods of additional mental effort [spikes] require a little more brainpower than usual, but not much more. “(6)
"Some studies have found that when people are not very good at a particular task, they exert more mental effort and use more glucose.
Llikewise, the more skilled you are, the more efficient your brain is and the less glucose you need. " (7,6) Some studies showed that “more skillful brains recruit more energy” (7), but... there's a catch.
Attitude is Everything
"Equally important to the duration of mental exertion is one's attitude toward it.” (6,8)
"A small but revealing study suggests that even mildly stressful intellectual challenges change our emotional states and behaviors, even if they do not profoundly alter brain metabolism." (9)
When stressed, our adrenal glands take over, then dump us, leaving a wake of hangry caloric cravings.
It is then that metabolism increases beyond the otherwise steady rate of brain consumption. What is more, "... something must explain the feeling of mental exhaustion, even if its physiology differs from physical fatigue.
"Simply believing that our brains have expended a lot of effort might be enough to make us lethargic…" (11)
Brain Vs. Brawn
We've been focusing on one narrow part of fuel consumption under the strain of brawn or brain: calories
But your brain is more than a just a muscle [car].
Let's consider a broader scope of smart consumption.
Pretend your brain is a turbo-injected diesel SmartCar that is modified with a Prius-ish battery loop inside, which feeds torque, electrically. The result: a darty little hybrid in which fuel metabolism connects with battery exchange. Now, unleash this diesel-conserving dynamo in an endurance race, on a stress-free track (13). Brain blitzes brawn.
The diesel performs fairly steadily, just as brain metabolism stays within a pretty constant range of gylcogen needs, even during cognitive spikes. In times of trouble, there are tiny turbo injections. Plus, this little modified Smartie electrically torques it's baby-brawn through stop-start tasks, thus economizing fuel consumption.
"The brain is not just mechanical consumer of fuel.
It's an electrical powerhouse
consuming intangibles."
Hangry Electrical Circuits
Bazillions of neuron "connections" extend from the brain in order to light up, well, everything.
Neurons have different levels of hunger: "…bigger neurons have higher overall consumption than small ones, ...but also, different neurons have different energy distributions..."
Scientists have estimated the energy needed for signaling between neurons ... "this inter-neuronal communication--called “synaptic transmission”--actually takes up more energy than spiking".
"In fact, there are many tasks within neurons that each require a different share of energy, including not only spiking and talking to other neurons, but also maintaining stores and generating new signaling molecules."(12)
Recall that spikes don't really affect brain metabolism of glycogen all that drastically. This chart shows that, of the energy gobbled up by the cortex, spiking only accounts for 21%.
What else effects brain metabolism?
Other than regulating the stress effects on glycogen consumpton,
let's not overlook the electrical work behind thinking.
Smart Fuel "Additives"
The Budget above shows that 79% of the cortex's operations involve ions and electrolytes. Neurons throughout the body and brain gobble ions. Electrolytes are the chemicals from which ions are made. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium, charge the entire nervous system.
Sodium electrolytes give nerve cells an electrical charge, an electrochemical nerve impulse. Without sodium, you brain cannot initiate the electrical impulses your nerve cells require for proper communication.
After the sodium wash, potassium electrolytes allow nerve cells to return to a resting state. Without adequate potassium, a nerve cell cannot send more than one electrochemical impulse (1)".
Magnesium then helps control the flow of sodium and potassium balance for nerve cells. Magnesium nerve cell sheaths for better transmission of signals. Magnesium economizes nerve transmission. (1)
Electrolyte access during intellectual feats
may help recharge and hydrate our hangry little brain.
(Drinking lots of water is not the same as actually absorbing it!)
Recognizing "Hanger"... is the First Step in Recovery
Bonking is an indicator that we have failed our brain, not that it has failed us.
The brain is often overlooked, despite all it's granted expectations.
Lapse in performance, during intellectual challenges, may indicate that we have missed refuelling ourselves.
9 Powerful Brain-Aid Strategies
Create healthy rewards for your thinking powerhouse:
Use mindfulness tools before bouts of pressured study, to pre-empt stressors that burn out your glycogen.
Take short restorative breaks from brain or endurance activities. Sorrrry: stimulants, sugar, or adrenal-pumping exercise are not truly restorative.
Time breaks after brain "spikes": deepwork on challenging subjects that you suck at, or subject hopping
Break up brain spikes with skilled subjects: reprieves from stress or anxiety. Coast pleasantly while keeping some momentum.
Use a timer to economize spiking and coasting periods, mindful breaks and snacks.
Eat healthy fats, so that you become an efficient converter of "brain diesel". Don't depend on sugar.
Make sure that your mineral consumption is excellent, and that your body has steady access to electrolytes to optimize water absorption.
The brain burns brighter with oxygen. Open a window and breathe!
"Prevent Hitting the Wall with awareness, planning and clean fuels."
If you're an endurance athlete, in addition to an intellectual one, take extra care to avoid brain "shrinkage"! (See "Hangry for Brain-Aids 1.0: Endurance Athletes" by Låna Brown.)
©️2017 Lana Brown, written content..
Reference citings below. Input from researchers & specialists in human sciences appreciated.
(1) Tremblay, Sylvie. MSc.. Electrolytes & the Brain. Retrieved from: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/electrolytes-brain-2895.html)
(2) Noakes, Timothy D. MB ChB, MD. (Sept 2000). Hyponatremia in Distance Athletes - Pulling the IV on the ‘Dehydration Myth’. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. Vol. 28 - No. 9. Retrieved from journal URL: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2000/09_00/
(3) Sheard, Erin. (Apr 2010). Can your brain hit the wall? Retrieved from journal URL: http://www.irun.ca/issues/article.php?id=238&intissueID=15
(4) Davis, Mark J., Central Nervous System Fatigue. Retrieved from journal: Latta, Sara (2003). The Wall. URL: http://marathonandbeyond.com/choices/latta.htm
(5) Dr. Maffetone, Phil. (April 30, 2015) Beat the Bonk with your Brain: an exerpt from “The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing”. Retrieved from URL: https://philmaffetone.com/beat-the-bonk
(6) Ferris, Jabr. (July 18, 2012). Does Thinking Really Hard Burn More Calories?. Scientific American. Retrieved from journal URL: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thinking-hard-calories/
(7) Larsen, Gerald E, et al., (Nov-Dec 1995). Evaluation of a “mental effort” hypothesis for correlations between cortical metabolism and intelligence. Intelligence. Vol. 21, Iss. 3. Retrieved from journal URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0160289695900179
(8) Messier, Claude. Glucose improvement of memory: a review. European Journal of Pharmacology. Retrieved from journal URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299904002006
(9) Chaput JP, et al., (2008 Sep) Glycemic instability and spontaneous energy intake: association with knowledge-based work. 70(7):797-804. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31818426fa. Epub 2008 Aug 25. Retrieved from journal URL: https://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pub-med/18725427
(10) Raichle, Marcus E and Gusnard, Debra A. Appraising the Brain’a Energy Budget. Retrieved from journal URL: http://www.pnas.org/content/99/16/10237.full
(11) Ferris, Jabr. (July 18, 2012). Does Thinking Really Hard Burn More Calories?. Scientific American. Retrieved from journal URL: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thinking-hard-calories/
(12) Lee, Ada of Neuwrite West Blog. (May 28, 2014).Does the brain have an energy budget? Under duress: How the Brian Conserves Energy. Stanford Neurosciences Institute: Ask a Neuroscientist. Retrieved from journal URL: https: neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/ask-neuroscientist-does-brain-have-energy-budget
(13) Photo credit: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/videos/a8015/smart-car-wheel-stand/
First published Mar 22/17
