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Researchers at University of Tsukuba have reported that consuming caffeine before exercise enhances performance during repeated cycling sprints and that these benefits persist for at least 3.5 hours thereafter. These findings suggest that a single pre-exercise caffeine dose may help athletes maintain performance during prolonged competitions and tournament-style events.

Tsukuba, Japan—Caffeine is one of the most widely used performance-enhancing supplements in sport. Despite its established ergogenic effects, the duration for which these benefits persist and how physiological responses change over that period remain unclear.

In the study, 12 healthy young adults consumed either caffeine (5.5 mg per kilogram of body mass) or a placebo 60 min before exercise. Participants then completed repeated cycling sprint tests over 3.5 h. Physiological measurements included plasma caffeine and noradrenaline concentrations, cardiovascular and respiratory responses, cerebral blood flow, and ratings of perceptual responses. Caffeine enhanced both mean and peak sprint power output, with noticeable performance benefits for at least 3.5 hours after ingestion. In addition, caffeine increased plasma noradrenaline concentrations after sprint exercise and decreased ratings of perceived exertion and leg muscle pain. Furthermore, caffeine altered cardiovascular and respiratory responses and reduced middle cerebral artery blood velocity, a common index of cerebral blood flow.

These findings show that a single pre-exercise caffeine dose can maintain its performance-enhancing effects for several hours during prolonged intermittent exercise. They provide new insight into how long caffeine's performance-enhancing effects persist during prolonged intermittent exercise and may help athletes better take advantage of caffeine's effects during prolonged competitions.

Original Paper

Title of original paper:

Pre-exercise caffeine enhances repeated sprint performance and alters physiological and perceptual responses with effects lasting up to 3.5 h

Journal:

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

DOI:

10.1249/MSS.0000000000004129

Correspondence

Associate Professor FUJII Naoto
Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba

NISHIKAWA Mizuki
Doctoral Program in Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Related Link

Institute of Health and Sport Sciences