Caffeine gum improves 5 km running performance in recreational runners completing parkrun events.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether caffeine gum improves performance in recreational runners completing 5 km parkruns.
Results Summary
Caffeine gum improved 5 km parkrun performance by an average of 17.28 seconds and reduced perceived exertion by 1.21 units compared to placebo. The results were statistically significant, though environmental adjustments slightly attenuated the effect.
Population
36 recreational runners (31 male, 5 female; age 33.7 ± 10.7 years; BMI 23.1 ± 2.4 kg/m²).
Effective Dosage
300 mg caffeine supplied in chewing gum.
Duration
Not specified in the abstract.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
caffeine gum | increase | 5 km parkrun performance | recreational runners | by a mean of 17.28 s | improved | #1 |
caffeine gum | decrease | RPE | recreational runners | by 1.21 units | decreased | #2 |
A 300 mg dose of caffeine supplied in chewing gum | increase | performance | recreational runners completing 5 km parkruns | by an average of 17 s | improved | #3 |
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether caffeine gum improves the performance of recreational runners completing parkruns (weekly, 5 km, mass participant running events). METHODS: Thirty-six recreational runners (M = 31, F = 5; age 33.7 ± 10.7 y; BMI 23.1 ± 2.4 kg/m RESULTS: Caffeine gum improved 5 km parkrun performance by a mean of 17.28 s (95% CI 4.19, 30.37; P = 0.01). Adjustment for environmental conditions using data from the non-intervention trials attenuated the statistical significance (P = 0.04). Caffeine gum also decreased RPE by 1.21 (95% CI 0.30, 2.13; P = 0·01) units relative to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: A 300 mg dose of caffeine supplied in chewing gum improved the performance of recreational runners completing 5 km parkruns by an average of 17 s. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02473575 before recruitment commenced.