Acute caffeine supplementation and live match-play performance in team-sports: A systematic review (2000-2021).
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
caffeine | increase | physical and cognitive performance | - | - | can improve | #1 |
acute caffeine ingestion | increase | peak heart rates | 213 participants | n=6/ 8 [n/ total studies measuring the variable] | responses to caffeine included higher | #2 |
acute caffeine ingestion | increase | mean heart rates | 213 participants | n=7/ 9 | responses to caffeine included higher | #3 |
acute caffeine ingestion | increase | blood glucose concentrations | 213 participants | n=2/ 2 | increased | #4 |
acute caffeine ingestion | increase | lactate concentrations | 213 participants | n=2/ 2 | increased | #5 |
caffeine | increase | distance coverage | 213 participants | n=7/ 7 | Improvements in physical performance were widely documented with | #6 |
caffeine | increase | high-speed distance coverage | 213 participants | n=5/ 7 | Improvements in physical performance were widely documented with | #7 |
caffeine | increase | impact frequencies | 213 participants | n=6/ 8 | Improvements in physical performance were widely documented with | #8 |
caffeine | increase | gross-skill performance | 213 participants | - | may benefit | #9 |
caffeine | no change | finer technical-skill outcomes | 213 participants | - | have no effect | #10 |
caffeine | decrease | finer technical-skill outcomes | 213 participants | - | negatively confound | #11 |
ingesting moderate caffeine doses (~3 to 6 mg·kg-1) ~60 minutes before exercise | increase | physical performance in team-sports | - | - | may improve | #12 |
Caffeine is a psycho-active stimulant that can improve physical and cognitive performance. We systematically reviewed the evidence on the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on physiological parameters, physical and technical-skill performance during high-performance team-sport match-play. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies were identified using scientific databases (PubMed, Web-of-Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) in February 2021. Of 281 results, 13 studies met inclusion, totalling 213 participants. Included studies adopted the randomised double-blinded cross-over design, involving caffeine and control conditions. In studies reporting physiological variables, responses to caffeine included higher peak (n=6/ 8 [n/ total studies measuring the variable]) and mean (n=7/ 9) heart rates, increased blood glucose (n=2/ 2) and lactate (n=2/ 2) concentrations. Improvements in physical performance were widely documented with caffeine, including greater distance coverage (n=7/ 7), high-speed distance coverage (n=5/ 7) and impact frequencies (n=6/ 8). From three studies that assessed technical-skills, it appears caffeine may benefit gross-skill performance, but have no effect, or negatively confound finer technical-skill outcomes. There is compelling evidence that ingesting moderate caffeine doses (~3 to 6 mg·kg-1) ~60 minutes before exercise may improve physical performance in team-sports, whereas evidence is presently too scarce to draw confident conclusions regarding sport-specific skill performance.