title: Motivational versus metabolic effects of carbohydrates on self-control.
abstract: Self-control is critical for achievement and well-being. However, people's capacity for self-control is limited and becomes depleted through use. One prominent explanation for this depletion posits that self-control consumes energy through carbohydrate metabolization, which further suggests that ingesting carbohydrates improves self-control. Some evidence has supported this energy model, but because of its broad implications for efforts to improve self-control, we reevaluated the role of carbohydrates in self-control processes. In four experiments, we found that (a) exerting self-control did not increase carbohydrate metabolization, as assessed with highly precise measurements of blood glucose levels under carefully standardized conditions; (b) rinsing one's mouth with, but not ingesting, carbohydrate solutions immediately bolstered self-control; and (c) carbohydrate rinsing did not increase blood glucose. These findings challenge metabolic explanations for the role of carbohydrates in self-control depletion; we therefore propose an alternative motivational model for these and other previously observed effects of carbohydrates on self-control.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. molden@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Molden
authors.forename: Chin Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Abigail A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Scholer
authors.forename: Brian P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Noreen
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates