The impact of caffeine on short-term memory in post-secondary students

We investigated the effects of caffeine on short-term memory after a 30-minute absorption period and a 45-minute absorption period in post-secondary students. The study was conducted in a single-blind, placebo-controlled design. Participants who consented to participate in the study were asked to abstain from caffeine or food consumption 12 hours before data collection. Each participant was randomly assigned to a 30-min group and 45 min-group Participants were administered a 1000 IU dose of Vitamin D then after 30 minutes or 45 minutes short-term memory (STM) was evaluated through a Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Immediately after, participants were administered 200 mg of caffeine dosage then the same procedure was repeated. Of 10 participants, 5 were placed in the 30-min group and another 5 in the 45-min group. Mean values for 30 min groups for placebo and caffeine trials were lower than the 45-min group scores. The impact of 30 minute absorption period measured placebo scores measure higher than caffeine trials (p=0.69). The 45-minute absorption period measured placebo score higher caffeine scores (p=0.64). Finally, the 45-min versus 30-min absorption period measured higher scores for increased absorption period (p=0.74). Consistent with previous research, if consumed properly, caffeine can assist in improving the memory in post-secondary students however; taking into consideration, the dosage and peak time of the caffeine supplement would greatly influence the ability to perform well on the RAVLT.