Acute Effects of Caffeinated Chewing Gum on Volleyball Performance in High-Performance Female Players

Abstract

To date, no investigation has studied the effect of acute intake of caffeinated chewing gum on volleyball performance. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to establish the impact of caffeinated chewing gum ingestion on physical performance in female volleyball players. Twelve high-performance volleyball female athletes participated in a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled, and double-blind experiment. Each athlete performed two identical experimental sessions after a) ingestion of ~6.4 mg/kg of caffeine via caffeinated chewing gum, b) ingestion of non-caffeinated chewing gum as a placebo. After the ingestion of gum, athletes performed a volleyball game, and performance was assessed by a notational analysis. Just before and after the game, jump performance during block and attack actions was evaluated. The number of points obtained and the number of errors committed during serve, reception, attacking, and blocking actions were unaffected by the ingestion of caffeinated chewing gum (p from 0.066 to 0.890). However, caffeinated chewing gum increased jump attack height in comparison to the placebo (pre-game 46.0 ± 7.2 vs. 47.2 ± 6.7 cm, p = 0.032; post-game 46.3 ± 7.6 vs. 47.5 ± 6.9 cm, p = 0.022, respectively). Caffeinated chewing gum did not modify block jump height (pre-game 32.7 ± 5.5 and 33.0 ± 4.3 cm, p = 0.829; post-game: 34.8 ± 6.1, 35.4 ± 6.1 cm, p = 0.993, respectively). The ingestion of ~6.4 mg/kg of caffeine via caffeinated chewing gum was effective for improving jump attack performance in women volleyball athletes. However, this effect was not translated into better volleyball performance during a game.

The Effect of Caffeinated Chewing Gum on Volleyball-Specific Skills and Physical Performance in Volleyball Players

“…The results of the current study showed no significant impact of caffeine via chewing gum on attack and block jumps. Surprisingly, the results of the current study are inconsistent with previous investigations [ 16 , 22 ] in which caffeine supplementation had a positive effect on those volleyball jumps. In a study by Pérez-López et al [ 16 ], caffeine at a dose of 3 mg/kg BM via energy drink contributed to the increase in height and peak power in attack and block jumps, which were performed according to the same procedure as in the present study.…”

“…In a study by Pérez-López et al [ 16 ], caffeine at a dose of 3 mg/kg BM via energy drink contributed to the increase in height and peak power in attack and block jumps, which were performed according to the same procedure as in the present study. Moreover, the study by Filip-Stachnik et al [ 22 ] showed an improvement in attack jumps before and after the simulated game after supplementation of caffeinated gum at a dose of ~6 mg/kg BM. The reason for the lack of improvement in attack and block jump after caffeine supplementation observed in the current investigation might be associated with the sports level of participants.…”

“…The gums were cut into small pieces and placed in an opaque cup to assist players and researchers in blinding. Players ingested chewing gum 15 min before each experimental trial, which is a common supplementation protocol for this form of caffeine [ 22 ]. Before starting the warm-up, players chewed gum for 5 min [ 19 ] and then spat it into a container.…”

“…Additionally, the effectiveness of blinding the administered capsules was assessed. The players answered the question: “What kind of supplement do you think you took?” They could choose one of three answers: (a) “caffeine”, (b) “placebo”, and (c) “I do not know” [ 22 ].…”

“…Similarly, the study by Filip-Stachnik et al [ 21 ] did not find a positive effect of ~2.7 mg/kg and ~5.4 mg/kg BM of caffeine via chewing gum on repeated special judo fitness tests. In terms of using this form of caffeine in team sports, improvement in attack jump height has been found after ~6 mg/kg BM of caffeine among volleyball players [ 22 ]. However, this study only assessed the effects of caffeine on jumping performance and the actions during a simulated game.…”