Ingestion of carbonated water increases middle cerebral artery blood velocity and improves mood states in resting humans exposed to ambient heat stress.

ABSTRACT

Sugar-free carbonated water is consumed worldwide. The consumption of carbonated water is high in summer, when the heat loss responses of sweating and skin vasodilation are activated, and thermal perceptions (thermal sensation and comfort) and mood states are negatively modulated. However, whether ingesting carbonated water under ambient heat exposure modulates cerebral blood flow index, heat loss responses, thermal perceptions, and mood states remains to be determined. In this study, 17 healthy, habitually active, young adults (eight women) ingested 4 °C noncarbonated or carbonated water under 37 °C ambient heat-stressed resting conditions. Both drinks increased the middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity, an index of cerebral blood flow, and mean arterial pressure, with carbonated water exhibiting higher elevations than noncarbonated water (P < 0.05). However, the heart rate, sweat rate, and skin blood flow during and after drinking remained unchanged between the two conditions (P > 0.05). The thermal sensation and comfort after drinking remained unchanged between the two conditions (P > 0.05); but, a drink-induced reduction in sleepiness was higher, and drink-induced elevations in motivation and exhilaration were higher after ingesting carbonated water than those after ingesting noncarbonated water (P < 0.05). The analyses suggest that in humans under ambient heat-stressed resting conditions, ingestion of cold carbonated water increases the cerebral blood flow index, blood pressure, motivation, and exhilaration, whereas it decreases sleepiness relative to ingestion of noncarbonated cold water. However, ingestion of cold carbonated water fails to modulate thermoregulatory responses and thermal perception as opposed to noncarbonated cold water.