Influence of Caffeine and Sodium Citrate Ingestion on 1,500-m Exercise Performance in Elite Wheelchair Athletes: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether caffeine and/or sodium citrate have an ergogenic effect on the 1,500-m exercise performance in elite wheelchair athletes. A placebo-controlled, randomized, cross-over and double-blind study design was conducted with the four treatments placebo, caffeine, sodium citrate and the combination of caffeine and sodium citrate. Nine healthy, elite wheelchair-racing athletes (median: [min; max] age: 28 y [23; 54]; height: 173 cm [165; 188]; weight: 62.9 kg [48.9; 68.4], category T53/54) completed the study. All athletes were national team members, including several Paralympic Games, World and European Championship medalists. The athletes performed a 1,500-m time trial four times on a wheelchair training roller. Time to complete 1,500-m, pH, bicarbonate and sodium concentration as well as lactate concentration were measured. The time to complete 1,500-m was not significantly different between the four treatments (placebo: 170.6 s [141.7; 232.0]; caffeine: 179.5 s [134.8; 239.6]; sodium citrate: 178.3 s [136.4; 247.1]; combination: 177.6 s [136.1; 256.2]). However, pH and bicarbonate concentrations were significantly increased with sodium citrate ingestion compared with placebo. Moreover, maximal lactate concentrations were significantly higher in the caffeine and the combination treatment compared with placebo. The supplementation with sodium citrate and/or caffeine did not provide an ergogenic effect on the 1,500-m exercise performance in wheelchair elite athletes.

Dietary sodium citrate supplementation does not improve upper-body anaerobic performance in trained wrestlers in simulated competition-day conditions

“…Therefore, it has been speculated that in trained wrestlers, who may already possess high intracellular buffer capacity, enhanced extracellular buffering may lack any additional positive effect on high-intensity upper-body exercise performance (Aschenbach et al 2000). Generally consistent with this speculation are the recent findings of Flueck et al (2014) who reported absence of any ergogenic effect of sodium citrate on 1,500-m time-trial performance in elite wheelchair-racing athletes, and Zabala et al (2011) who observed no impact of NaHCO 3 ingestion on performance in three consecutive Wingate tests separated by 15-min recovery in elite BMX cyclists.…”

Effect of caffeine on maximal oxygen uptake in wheelchair rugby players: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study

“…However, the study showed caffeine has improved cycling but not handcycling. Flueck et al (2014) demonstrated no ergogenic effect of caffeine on 1,500 m exercise performance in elite wheelchair athletes. The time to complete 1,500 m was not significantly different between the four treatments (placebo, caffeine, sodium citrate, combination).…”

“…The study proved that acute caffeine supplementation, at the dosage 4 mg/kg, can improve both 20 m sprint performance and a 1 off bout of short-term endurance performance in wheelchair athletes. On the other hand, the second study did not verify that the supplementation of caffeine, at the dosage 6 mg/kg, provided an ergogenic effect on the 1,500 m exercise performance in wheelchair paraplegic elite athletes (Flueck, Mettler, & Perret, 2014). Similarly, recent research from a team Flueck, Lienert, Schaufelberger, Krebs, and Perret (2015) proved an ergogenic effect of caffeine consumption (6 mg/kg body weight) in a 3 min all-out arm crank test in paraplegic, but no in tetraplegic and able-bodied individuals.…”

Improvement of Sprint Performance in Wheelchair Sportsmen With Caffeine Supplementation

“…Use of nutritional supplements is common among athletes with an impairment, 16 and yet data investigating their efficacy in this population are scarce. 10,17 Aside from an uncertainty as to whether caffeine is beneficial in this population, a lack of evidence raises concern given the potential for, or more acute sensitivity to, side effects in some sportspeople with a physical impairment. 18 The influence of caffeine on subjective feelings and mood has also been investigated in able-bodied participants whereby low to moderate doses of caffeine appear to improve mood and increase arousal.…”

“…It has been suggested that certain individual characteristics such as genetics, 8 training status, 9 impairment, 10 and habitual intake 11 may affect how a person responds to caffeine. The response will also depend on the duration, intensity, and time of caffeine ingestion and the mode of exercise.…”