Optimizing Short-Term Maximal Exercise Performance: The Superior Efficacy of a 6 mg/kg Caffeine Dose over 3 or 9 mg/kg in Young Female Team-Sports Athletes.

Houda Bougrine, Nizar Souissi, Achraf Ammar, Atef Salem, Hamdi Chtourou, Khaled Trabelsi, Haitham Jahrami

Journal: Nutrients 2024;16(5):

PMID: 38474768

Abstract

Caffeine (CAF) is among the most extensively researched dietary supplements worldwide. However, little is known about the relationship between dosage and performance enhancement, particularly in female athletes. This study aimed to explore the effects of three different CAF dosages (3 mg·kg, 6 mg·kg, and 9 mg·kg) on high-intensity exercise and the prevalence of undesirable side effects related to these doses among female team-sports athletes. All participants (n = 16; age: 16.9 ± 0.6 y; height: 1.64 ± 0.1 m; BMI: 21.6 ± 1.5 kg·m) were mild CAF consumers. This study had a randomized, crossover, double-blind design in which each athlete performed four experimental sessions after ingesting either a placebo (PLAC), 3 mg·kg CAF (CAF-3), 6 mg·kg CAF (CAF-6), or 9 mg·kg of CAF (CAF-9), with an in-between washout period of at least 72 h. In each experimental session, 60 min after ingesting the capsules, participants underwent a countermovement jumps test (CMJ), modified agility t-test (MATT), repeated sprint ability (RSA) test, and a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and completed the CAF side effects questionnaire. Our findings revealed that in comparison to the PLAC condition, the MATT, RSA, and RSA performances were significantly greater only under the CAF-6 and CAF-9 conditions. Although the RPE scores remained unchanged, CMJ performance improved under all CAF conditions. All the performance outcomes were better for the CAF-6 and CAF-9 conditions than for the CAF-3 condition. Notably, no significant difference between the CAF-6 and CAF-9 conditions was observed for any of these parameters despite the highest incidence of side effects being noted for the CAF-9 condition. In summary, our findings highlight the recommendation for a moderate CAF dosage of 6 mg·kg rather than 3 or 9 mg·kg to enhance various aspects of short-term maximal performance in mild-CAF-consumer female team-sports athletes while mitigating the occurrence of adverse CAF side effects.

Address: High Institute of Sport and Physical Education Gafsa, University of Gafsa, Gafsa 2100, Tunisia.; Physical Activity Research Unit, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sports, Tunis 1003, Tunisia.; High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.; Department of Training and Movement Science, Institute of Sport Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany.; Research Laboratory, Molecular Bases of Human Pathology, LR19ES13, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3029, Tunisia.; Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Neurosciences, Physiology and Psychology: Physical Activity, Health and Learning (LINP2), UFR STAPS (Faculty of Sport Sciences), Université Paris Lumières (UPL), Paris Nanterre University, 92000 Nanterre, France.; Physical Activity Research Unit, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sports, Tunis 1003, Tunisia.; High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.; Department of Training and Movement Science, Institute of Sport Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany.; High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.; Research Laboratory, Education, Motricity, Sport and Health (EM2S), LR15JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 323, Bahrain.; Ministry of Health, Manama 410, Bahrain.; Physical Activity Research Unit, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sports, Tunis 1003, Tunisia.; High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.; Physical Activity Research Unit, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sports, Tunis 1003, Tunisia.; High Institute of Sport and Physical Education Ksar-Saïd, Manouba University, Mannouba 2010, Tunisia.

DOI: 10.3390/nu16050640

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MeSH Terms: Adolescent, Female, Humans, Athletes, Athletic Performance, Caffeine, Cross-Over Studies, Double-Blind Method, Exercise, Team Sports