The effects of TeaCrine® and caffeine on endurance and cognitive performance during a simulated match in high-level soccer players.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TeaCrine® | increase | time-to-exhaustion (TTE) | high-level male and female soccer players | - | trended towards significance | #1 |
TeaCrine® + caffeine | increase | time-to-exhaustion (TTE) | high-level male and female soccer players | - | trended towards significance | #2 |
caffeine | increase | choice reaction time (CRT) | high-level male and female soccer players | - | faster | #3 |
TeaCrine® + caffeine | increase | choice reaction time (CRT) | high-level male and female soccer players | - | faster | #4 |
TeaCrine® | increase | time-to-exhaustion (TTE) | high-level male and female soccer players | 27-38% | improvements | #5 |
TeaCrine® | increase | endurance | high-level male and female soccer players | - | favorably impacts | #6 |
TeaCrine® + caffeine | increase | cognitive function | high-level male and female soccer players | - | provides greater benefits | #7 |
BACKGROUND: Theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric-acid) is a pure alkaloid with a similar structure to caffeine and acts comparably as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Early studies have shown non-habituating effects, including increases in energy and focus in response to Teacrine®, the compound containing pure theacrine. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effects of Teacrine® and caffeine on cognitive performance and time-to-exhaustion during a simulated soccer game in high-level male and female athletes. METHODS: Male and female soccer players (N = 24; M RESULTS: TTE trended towards significance in TeaCrine® and TeaCrine® + caffeine conditions compared to placebo (P < 0.052). A condition main effect (P < 0.05) occurred with faster CRT in caffeine and TeaCrine® + caffeine compared to placebo. COGRT CONCLUSIONS: The 27-38% improvements in TTE reflect increased performance capacity that may have important implications for overtime scenarios. These findings suggest TeaCrine® favorably impacts endurance and the combination with caffeine provides greater benefits on cognitive function than either supplement independently.