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Energy Drink Doses of Caffeine and Taurine Have a Null or Negative Effect on Sprint Performance.

Journal of strength and conditioning research
December 1, 2020
Owen Jeffries et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine the effects of caffeine and taurine coingestion on repeat-sprint cycling performance and associated physiological and perceptual responses.

Results Summary

The study found that caffeine and taurine supplementation did not improve repeat-sprint cycling performance and appeared to increase fatigue in later sprints. It also increased heart rate and glycolytic metabolic by-products but had no effect on perceived exertion.

Population

11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)

Effective Dosage

80 mg caffeine and 1 g taurine, administered once

Duration

Single session (10 × 6-second sprints with 24-second rest intervals)

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
no change
peak power
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
trivial
likely, trivial differences
#1
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
no change
intersprint fatigue index
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
trivial
unclear, trivial
#2
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
increase
intrasprint fatigue
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
likely, small
greater
#3
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
increase
heart rate (HR)
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
effect size = 0.94
likely large effect
#4
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
increase
blood lactate concentration (B[la])
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
likely small
increases
#5
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
increase
blood lactate concentration (B[la])
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
possibly small
increases
#6
caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g)
no change
rating of perceived exertion (RPE)
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
unclear, trivial
no effect
#7
caffeine and taurine at doses equivalent to commercial energy drinks
no change
repeat-sprint cycling performance
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
-
did not improve
#8
caffeine and taurine at doses equivalent to commercial energy drinks
increase
fatigue within selected sprints
11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg)
-
seemed to induce greater fatigue
#9
Abstract

Jeffries, O, Hill, J, Patterson, SD, and Waldron, M. Energy drink doses of caffeine and taurine have a null or negative effect on sprint performance. J Strength Cond Res 34(12): 3475-3481, 2020-This study investigated the effects of caffeine and taurine coingestion on repeat-sprint cycling performance and associated physiological and perceptual responses. In a double-blind, cross-over, repeated measures study, 11 male subjects (age 21 ± 2 years; stature 178 ± 7 cm; body mass 80 ± 13 kg) completed 10 × 6-second sprints on a cycle ergometer, each separated by 24 seconds, one hour after ingesting: caffeine (80 mg) and taurine (1 g), equivalent to the amount observed in popular commercial energy drinks, or placebo (maltodextrin ∼1 g) in a gelatine capsule. Performance was measured on a cycle ergometer, whereas blood lactate concentration (B[la]), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and heart rate (HR) were measured at baseline (pre-exercise) and after sprints 5 and 10. Magnitude-based inferences revealed likely, trivial differences in peak power and unclear, trivial intersprint fatigue index after ingestion of the caffeine and taurine supplement. Intrasprint fatigue was greater in the caffeine and taurine condition at sprint 10 (likely, small) and possibly smaller in sprints 6-9. The caffeine and taurine supplement had a likely large effect on HR at baseline (effect size = 0.94) and increases in B[la] after sprints 5 (likely small) and 10 (possibly small). There was no effect of the supplement on RPE (unclear, trivial). Administration of caffeine and taurine at doses equivalent to commercial energy drinks did not improve repeat-sprint cycling performance and seemed to induce greater fatigue within selected sprints, particularly at the end of the trial. This undesirable performance effect occurs in parallel with increased HR and glycolytic metabolic bi-products.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAthletic PerformanceCaffeineCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodEnergy DrinksErgometryHumansMaleRunningTaurineYoung Adult
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety70
Efficacy30/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations13
Citations/Year2.6
Relative Citation Ratio1.56
NIH Percentile66.5%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.45
Normalized Score0.57
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