Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine on Ballistic (Throwing) Performance: A Meta-Analytical Review

Abstract

Ballistic exercise is characterized by high velocity, force, and muscle activation. Typical examples of ballistic exercise are jumping and throwing activities. While several studies explored caffeine’s effects on throwing performance, the between study findings varied. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis exploring caffeine’s effects on throwing performance (e.g., shot put, medicine ball throw, bench press throw). Seven databases were searched for eligible research. Ten studies (n = 151) were included. In the main meta-analysis, there was a significant ergogenic effect of caffeine on throwing performance (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05, 0.33; p = 0.007). There was a significant ergogenic effect of caffeine in the subgroup analysis for studies that evaluated throwing velocity (SMD: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.37; p = 0.0006) and used caffeine doses ≤3 mg/kg (SMD: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.31; p = 0.006). There was no significant difference between caffeine and placebo in the subgroup analysis for studies that evaluated throwing distance (SMD: 0.15; 95% CI: −0.09, 0.40; p = 0.22) and used caffeine doses >3 mg/kg, (SMD: 0.17; 95% CI: −0.08, 0.41; p = 0.19). However, after one outlier study was excluded as part of a sensitivity analysis, an ergogenic effect was also observed for throwing distance and caffeine doses >3 mg/kg. Based on the results of this review, we conclude that individuals interested in the acute enhancement of throwing performance may consider caffeine supplementation.

Early absorption sources of caffeine can be a useful strategy for improving female table tennis players-specific performance

“…Consistently with these results, a study showed that consuming 150 mg of caffeine as chewing gum had no significant effect on the power and isometric handgrip strength of basketball players [ 34 ]. However, inconsistency with the present results, it had been shown in a meta-analysis that caffeine consumption increased the throwing performance of athletes [ 29 ]. The proposed mechanisms that may explain the energizing effects of caffeine are improving neuromuscular function, increasing endorphin secretion, improving alertness and reducing activity perception during exercise [ 46 ].…”

“…Explosive power of upper body muscles: A 3 kg medicine ball was used, and the participants threw the ball three times in front of their chest, and their best record was recorded in centimeters [ 29 ].…”

Effects of Different Doses of Caffeine Supplementation on Collegiate Male Volleyball Players’ Specific Performance and Skills: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

“…However, the changes (relative percentage) compared with PLA showed that right handgrip strength (C3: 4.9% and C6:3.54%), upper-body explosive power (C3: 3.28% and C6: 3.38%), and hand movement speed (C3: 6.11% and C6: 6.02%) improved after caffeine supplementation. Consistent with these findings, A meta-analysis also showed that caffeine improved throwing performance with a small effect size, especially when the supplemental dose was ≤3 mg/kg BW [ 60 ]. Another study has also shown that caffeine has a small effect size on improving grip strength regardless of dosage [ 61 ].…”