Effect of Carbohydrate, Caffeine, and Carbohydrate + Caffeine Mouth Rinsing on Intermittent Running Performance in Collegiate Male Lacrosse Athletes

Abstract

Dolan, P, Witherbee, KE, Peterson, KM, and Kerksick, CM. Effect of carbohydrate, caffeine, and carbohydrate + caffeine mouth rinsing on intermittent running performance in collegiate male lacrosse athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2473-2479, 2017-Recently, an interest has developed in the potential to rinse the oral cavity with key nutrients to impact various types of exercise and presumably sporting performance. Although multiple studies examining carbohydrate mouth rinsing have been completed, conflicting evidence surrounding caffeine mouth rinsing persists, and no research has explored its ability to impact high-intensity, intermittent running performance. This study investigated the independent and synergistic ability of carbohydrate and caffeine mouth rinsing to improve intermittent running performance. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test-Level 1 (Yo-Yo Level 1) was completed in 10 collegiate (National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Division II) male lacrosse players after a 10-second mouth rinse with a solution of either carbohydrate (CHO), caffeine (CAF), carbohydrate + caffeine (CHO + CAF), placebo (H2O), or a no rinse control (CON). No significant improvements in Yo-Yo IRT-1 performance were found (p > 0.05). Perceptual indications of effort (i.e., rating of their perceived exertion [RPE]) were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in CHO and CHO + CAF when compared with CON after speed level 11. Interestingly, RPE levels were nonsignificantly lower in all but one level of the Yo-Yo Level 1 for CHO in comparison with other groups. Carbohydrate and caffeine mouth rinsing seems to exert no impact on running performance before maximal intermittent running in a group of male collegiate lacrosse players.

Isolated effects of caffeine and sodium bicarbonate ingestion on performance in the Yo-Yo test: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The meta-analysis for the effects of caffeine included a total of ten studies given that in one study, the data required for the analysis was not presented and the authors did not provide the data upon written request. 22 The main meta-analysis indicated a significant difference (p = 0.022) between the caffeine and placebo conditions with the SMD favoring the caffeine condition (SMD: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.32; percent change: +7.5%; I 2 : 28%; 95% PI: −0.32, 0.66; Fig. 1).…”

“…Therefore, in total, 15 studies were included; 13 studies were published as full-text manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, one study was published as a conference abstract, and one study is a part of a master's thesis. [4][5][6][7][8]13,15,16,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Eleven studies explored the effects of caffeine, whereas five studies examined the effects of sodium bicarbonate on Yo-Yo test performance (Table 1). One study included examined the isolated effects of both caffeine and sodium bicarbonate.…”

“…The diamond at the bottom of the graph represents the pooled standardized mean difference for the effect of acute caffeine ingestion using a random-effects meta-analyses. In a sensitivity analysis, in which the study by Dolan et al 22 was excluded (given that this study provided caffeine in mouth rinsing form), SMD values increased to 0.20 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.36; p = 0.009).…”

“…30,31 These mechanisms might explain why the pooled SMD increased when the study that provided caffeine in the mouth rinsing form was excluded. 22 After excluding the study that utilized caffeine mouth rinsing, the SMD increased from 0.17 to 0.20. Specifically, caffeine provided in this form does not increase plasma caffeine concentration 32 which is a likely prerequisite for an ergogenic effect of caffeine.…”

“…In the meta-analysis that focused on the effects of caffeine, a sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding one study in which caffeine was not ingested as it was provided in a mouth rinsing form. 22 A subgroup analysis was performed for studies exploring the effects of caffeine on Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 and for those exploring the level 2 variant of the test. In the meta-analysis for the effects of sodium bicarbonate, a sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding the only study that used the level 1 version of the test.…”