The effect of one-week bitartrate choline supplementation on balance and some variables of cognitive function in active men

Background and Objective: Choline is a precursor for the synthesis of the most important cholinergic neurotransmitter that induce the release of calcium from sarcoplasmic reticulum that finally leads to muscle contraction. The purpose of the current study was to survey the effect of one week choline supplementation on memory, reaction time, throwing darts and balance in recreationally active men.

Materials and Methods: Thirty qualified men (age 25.8 ± 4.34 years old, height 172.1 ± 7.24 cm, weight 76.9 ± 10.17 kg, BMI 26.06 ± 0.15 kg/m2) were randomly and double-blind divided into two groups of supplementation and placebo with a pre- and post-test design. The subjects initially completed throwing darts test, balance by stroke test, reaction time by reaction time computerized evaluation program and memory by memory assessment computerized program (memory 2000). Following one week of supplementation, the tests were repeated with the same sequence. For data analysis, the software SPSS (version 20) and the paired independent t-test were used.

Results: Reaction time and memory performance in the experimental group significantly improved (p < 0.05). However, throwing darts and balance scores in both groups were not significant different between the pre and post-test sessions (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the current study indicated that one week bitartrate choline supplementation can improve memory and reaction time with no effect on balance performance and throwing darts. With regard to the effect of choline supplementation on exercise performance, there is a requirement for further research.