I might be wrong but I dont think the brain actually expends 'more' energy in intensive cognitive tasks in the way you suggest. "As Harrington explained, "The

I might be wrong but I dont think the brain actually expends 'more' energy in intensive cognitive tasks in the way you suggest. "As Harrington explained, "The brain is able to shunt blood [and thus energy] to particular regions that are being active at that point. But the overall energy availability in the brain is thought to be constant." So, while there might be significant spikes in energy use at localized regions of the brain when we perform difficult cognitive tasks, when it comes to the whole brain's energy budget overall, these activities don’t significantly alter it." "Elite chess players are under intense pressure that causes stress, which can lead to an elevated heart rate, faster breathing and sweating. Combined, these effects burn calories over time." https://www.livescience.com/burn-calories-brain.html https://www.livescience.com/burn-calories-brain.html