International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance

Abstract

Following critical evaluation of the available literature to date, The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position regarding caffeine intake is as follows: Supplementation with caffeine has been shown to acutely enhance various aspects of exercise performance in many but not all studies. Small to moderate benefits of caffeine use include, but are not limited to: muscular endurance, movement velocity and muscular strength, sprinting, jumping, and throwing performance, as well as a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific actions. Aerobic endurance appears to be the form of exercise with the most consistent moderate-to-large benefits from caffeine use, although the magnitude of its effects differs between individuals. Caffeine has consistently been shown to improve exercise performance when consumed in doses of 3–6 mg/kg body mass. Minimal effective doses of caffeine currently remain unclear but they may be as low as 2 mg/kg body mass. Very high doses of caffeine (e.g. 9 mg/kg) are associated with a high incidence of side-effects and do not seem to be required to elicit an ergogenic effect. The most commonly used timing of caffeine supplementation is 60 min pre-exercise. Optimal timing of caffeine ingestion likely depends on the source of caffeine. For example, as compared to caffeine capsules, caffeine chewing gums may require a shorter waiting time from consumption to the start of the exercise session. Caffeine appears to improve physical performance in both trained and untrained individuals. Inter-individual differences in sport and exercise performance as well as adverse effects on sleep or feelings of anxiety following caffeine ingestion may be attributed to genetic variation associated with caffeine metabolism, and physical and psychological response. Other factors such as habitual caffeine intake also may play a role in between-individual response variation. Caffeine has been shown to be ergogenic for cognitive function, including attention and vigilance, in most individuals. Caffeine may improve cognitive and physical performance in some individuals under conditions of sleep deprivation. The use of caffeine in conjunction with endurance exercise in the heat and at altitude is well supported when dosages range from 3 to 6 mg/kg and 4–6 mg/kg, respectively. Alternative sources of caffeine such as caffeinated chewing gum, mouth rinses, energy gels and chews have been shown to improve performance, primarily in aerobic exercise. Energy drinks and pre-workout supplements containing caffeine have been demonstrated to enhance both anaerobic and aerobic performance.

The effects of different doses of caffeine on maximal strength and strength‐endurance in women habituated to caffeine

“…per day. Nevertheless, it is still possible that the difference in the level of habituation to caffeine in the participants of the current study played a role in the between-individual response variation to acute caffeine intake [ 51 ]. According to Svenningsson et al [ 52 ] and Fredholm et al [ 53 ], habitual CAF intake may modify physiological responses to acute CAF ingestion by the up-regulation of adenosine receptors.…”

Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Thus, it could be that synergistic or antagonistic effects were produced on physical and cognitive performance. In addition, the different sources of caffeine (capsules, tablets, gums, mouthwash, drinks, and energy bars) could affect caffeine pharmacokinetics [ 17 ] and, consequently, the results of the different studies. The different doses and regimens could also have affected some of the outcome measures.…”

“…Furthermore, caffeine maximizes glycolytic activity through increased activity of the enzyme phosphofructokinase [ 14 ]. This means that, after ~60 min of caffeine supplementation coinciding with peak blood levels [ 15 ], caffeine has confirmed ergogenic effects in a wide range of sports activities [ 16 , 17 ]. These activities include as much of those involving a predominance of oxidative metabolism, such as endurance sport modalities [ 18 , 19 ], as those involving a predominance of non-oxidative metabolism, such as those requiring a high movement velocity [ 20 ] and power [ 21 ], i.e., the Wingate test [ 22 ], or a mixed metabolism, such as team sports [ 23 ], combat sports [ 24 ], or racquet sports [ 25 ].…”

Effect on the Antioxidant, Lipoperoxyl Radical Scavenger Capacity, Nutritional, Sensory and Microbiological Traits of an Ovine Stretched Cheese Produced with Grape Pomace Powder Addition

“…The most interesting natural antioxidants belong to the chemical classes of phenols [ 4 ]. They are particularly present in some fruits such as red grape [ 5 ]. Thus, winemaking industry by-products constitute an interesting source of bioactive phenolic compounds [ 6 ].…”