Caffeine and Competitive Edge: The Impact of Acute Intake on Performance in Intermittent Sports
Date
2-18-2025
Faculty Mentor
Majid Koozehchian, Kinesiology; Gina Mabrey, Kinesiology
Files
Submission Type
Conference Proceeding
Location
10:15-10:25 am | Houston Cole Library, 11th Floor
Description
Please note: no video is available for this presentation.
Athletes in intermittent sports often seek strategies to maximize high-intensity performance. Here we investigate caffeine's role in boosting sport-specific actions to enhance competitive outcomes. Caffeine is a widely used ergogenic aid that can potentially enhance athletic performance. Intermittent sports are characterized by repeated bouts of high-intensity activity mixed with periods of rest or low-intensity activity. These sports demand a complex interaction between physical and cognitive functions. Understanding these effects can help optimize training and competition strategies. We began with our inclusion criteria and decided to use the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome framework. Our population comprised athletes who participated in team, racket, or combat sports. The intervention was acute caffeine ingestion. A placebo comparison group was used. The primary outcome measures were sport-specific actions observed during real or simulated competitions. For the framework of our test, we decided only to use single- or double-blind, randomized controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals. Twenty-four randomized controlled trials were conducted. Within these trials, 399 athletes were used. Participants were categorized as recreationally active, trained, highly trained, or elite athletes. After classification, caffeine was administered. Athletes were given different caffeine options to investigate the effect of different delivery methods. These options included caffeine-filled capsules, caffeinated energy drinks, and chewing gum. During these trials, caffeine was administrated 45 to 60 minutes before the training period started. Once this was finished, multiple tests assessed specific movements found in intermittent sports. As a result, we found that caffeine ingestion significantly enhanced high-intensity actions, including sprints, accelerations, and offensive movements, while improving competitive success rates. Additionally, our data suggest that caffeine improves an athlete's ability to sustain high-intensity actions over time. This likely leads to increased player involvement and improved overall game performance, ultimately contributing to a competitive advantage. Our findings offer new insights into caffeine's potential to elevate performance in intermittent sports, paving the way for future research and practical applications. While the findings are promising, further research is needed to confirm their applicability across diverse athlete populations. Future research should also explore whether athletes' expectations about caffeine's ergogenic effects influence their performance.
Keywords
student research, kinesiology
Rights
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Disciplines
Kinesiology
Recommended Citation
Morris, Mikah, "Caffeine and Competitive Edge: The Impact of Acute Intake on Performance in Intermittent Sports" (2025). JSU Student Symposium 2025. 18.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/18
