Clean Run - July 2011 - 25

A Spoonful of Sugar = Brain Food?
By Brenna Fender Self-discipline and delayed gratiﬁcation are linked to the brain’s use of energy in the form of glucose, according to a recent article in Scientiﬁc American. Studies show that dogs, as well as humans, rely on the simple sugar, glucose, as brain and body fuel to help both species exert self-control. According to the article, found at www.scientiﬁcamerican.com/article. cfm?id=dog-tired, “... in people, self-control relies on the brain’s ‘executive’ powers, which coordinate planning and action. It is further known that this kind of effortful cognitive processing requires energy in the form of glucose.... Studies show that depletion of the brain’s glucose supply compromises self-discipline.” Exerting mental self-discipline in one instance can make a person more vulnerable and more likely to give in to temptation later in the day unless glucose stores are replaced. Two recent experiments showed that dogs operate the same way. In the ﬁrst, dogs given a task that required extensive concentration (a 10-minute sit-stay) gave up on another exercise that followed in less than half the time as did their non-taxed counterparts (dogs that rested in cages for 10 minutes). The dogs that did the long stay used up more glucose; therefore, they had less selfdiscipline to work on the follow-up activity. In the second study, half of the dogs that did the stay were supplemented with a sugary drink while the other half received a drink containing artiﬁcial sweetener. The dogs that received the sugary drink performed similarly on the follow-up task to the dogs that did not deplete their brain’s glucose by doing the stay. The dogs that drank artiﬁcial sweetener gave up more easily. How does this affect your agility training? Using a supplement containing glucose throughout difﬁcult training sessions or during a long day of trialing can improve your dog’s performance by boosting his self-discipline and control. Use care when giving your dog any supplement; contact your veterinarian for more information if appropriate. D

Brenna Fender is a freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in mass communications and a masters degree in elementary education. She lives with her husband, two young children, a Whippet, a Papillon, and a Beagle. Over the years, Brenna and her dogs have earned titles in agility, obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, and lure coursing. The husband and children are far less impressively titled. Contact her at BrennaFender@gmail.com.

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July 11 | Clean Run 25

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Clean Run - July 2011

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