Acute Effects of Caffeine Intake on Psychological Responses and High-Intensity Exercise Performance

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine supplementation on: (i) psychological responses of subjective vitality and mood; (ii) performance through a Wingate test; and (iii) rate of perceived exertion (RPE) reported after a Wingate test. Methods: Fifteen male participants (22.60 ± 2.16 years) ingested 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine or placebo (sucrose) supplementation in two experimental sessions. After 60 min from supplement intake, participants fulfilled two questionnaires, which measured subjective vitality and mood state, respectively. Subsequently, participants’ performance was assessed through a Wingate test, which was followed by measurements of RPE at general, muscular, or cardiovascular level. Results: Caffeine supplementation increased some components of mood, as assessed by profile of mood states (POMS) (tension and vigor dimensions) and subjective vitality profiles, which were followed by a greater maximum power, average power, and lower time needed to reach maximum power during the Wingate test. Moreover, lower RPE, both at muscular and general levels were reported by participants after the Wingate test. Conclusions: These results suggest that caffeine supplementation exerts positive effects both in psychological and physical domains in trained subjects.

Acute Effects of Low Dose of Caffeine Ingestion Combined with Conditioning Activity on Psychological and Physical Performances of Male and Female Taekwondo Athletes

“…Considering the psychological responses, MPSS, FS, and SVS scores were higher after caffeine ingestion compared with the placebo condition. These results are in accordance with those previously reported [ 34 , 35 ], showing that 6 mg/kg of CAF ingestion 60 min prior to testing enhanced positive mood components (i.e., vigor and tension) and increased subjective vitality profile in elite athletes. These results suggest that CAF intake leads to the finest emotional state to perform a physical task and prepares the athlete to face a severe mental effort [ 34 ].…”

“…These results are in accordance with those previously reported [ 34 , 35 ], showing that 6 mg/kg of CAF ingestion 60 min prior to testing enhanced positive mood components (i.e., vigor and tension) and increased subjective vitality profile in elite athletes. These results suggest that CAF intake leads to the finest emotional state to perform a physical task and prepares the athlete to face a severe mental effort [ 34 ]. The effects of CAF on these parameters may be related to the enhancement of brain activation [ 34 ].…”

“…These results suggest that CAF intake leads to the finest emotional state to perform a physical task and prepares the athlete to face a severe mental effort [ 34 ]. The effects of CAF on these parameters may be related to the enhancement of brain activation [ 34 ]. Since that adenosine formation is primarily regulated by energy deprivation, the caffeine antagonism of adenosine signaling can override this regulation, resulting in fatigue reduction and increased pleasure even when energy levels are low [ 36 ].…”

“…From a psychological side, CAF has been reported to enhance positive mood components (i.e., vigor and tension) and increase the subjective vitality profile [ 34 , 35 ], reduce fatigue, and increase the feeling of pleasure even when energy levels are low [ 36 ]. In taekwondo, like other sports, the ability to reduce fatigue and present more positive psychological responses could result in greater performances [ 1 ].…”

Una Semana de Consumo de Café con Cafeína en Dosis Bajas o Moderadas No Induce Tolerancia a los Efectos Precisos de la Cafeína en el Rendimiento del Sprint

“…Of these, caffeine (CAF) is most commonly administered prior to and during a game (Tallis et al, 2021). The acute intake of CAF doses of 3-6 mg/kg of body mass has been well established to improve performance in various exercise modalities including aerobic (Southward et al, 2018), anaerobic activities (Davis and Green, 2009), muscle performance such as strength (Grgic et al, 2020), muscular endurance (Flip-Stachnik et al, 2021), maximum power (Dominguez et al, 2021) and intermittent sprint performance (Mohr et al, 2011;Glaister et al, 2019). On the other hand, it has been still reported to be ineffective on some performance parameters (Clarke et al, 2016;Trexler et al, 2016).…”