Effects of diet on the ability to drive

Abstract

Monoamine synthesis and release depend on the availability of their precursors. Thus some individual behaviors and aptitudes can be controlled by changing the dietary supply of such amino acids. In order to determine the effects of diet on skills for a correct driving attitude, such as sleep latency, attention level, arousal and differences between sexes, we designed a crossover, double-blind trial with 50 volunteers from both sexes, aged 21-30, who ingested a protein enriched product or one composed only of carbohydrates. After 3 h, psychotechnical computerized tests were performed to assess ability to calculate speed, manual skills and vision coordination and concentration capability. No differences were seen in the performance of the tests after the ingestion of both products; thus, diet does not seem to influence behaviors involved in driving. Males performed better in tests involving space perception while females obtained higher scores in the test for visual memory.