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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Owen JeffriesORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Purpose Caffeine is a commonly used ergogenic aid for endurance events; however, its efficacy and safety have been questioned in hot environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute caffeine supplementation on cycling time to exhaustion and thermoregulation in the heat. Methods In a double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial, 12 healthy caffeine-habituated and unacclimatised males cycled to exhaustion in the heat (35 °C, 40% RH) at an intensity associated with the thermoneutral gas exchange threshold, on two separate occasions, 60 min after ingesting caffeine (5 mg/kg) or placebo (5 mg/kg). Results There was no effect of caffeine supplementation on cycling time to exhaustion (caffeine; 28.5 ± 8.3 min vs. placebo; 29.9 ± 8.8 min, P = 0.251). Caffeine increased pulmonary oxygen uptake by 7.4% (P = 0.003), heat production by 7.9% (P = 0.004), whole-body sweat rate by 21% (P = 0.008), evaporative heat transfer by 16.5% (P = 0.006) and decreased estimated skin blood flow by 14.1% (P < 0.001) compared to placebo. Core temperature was higher by 0.6% (P = 0.013) but thermal comfort decreased by -18.3% (P = 0.040), in the caffeine condition, with no changes in rate of perceived exertion (P > 0.05). Conclusion The greater heat production and storage, as indicated by a sustained increase in core temperature, corroborate previous research showing a thermogenic effect of caffeine ingestion. When exercising at the pre-determined gas exchange threshold in the heat, 5 mg/kg of caffeine did not provide a performance benefit and increased the thermal strain of participants.
Author(s): John K, Kathuria S, Peel J, Page J, Aitkenhead R, Felstead A, Heffernan SM, Jeffries O, Tallent J, Waldron M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year: 2024
Volume: 124
Pages: 2489-2502
Online publication date: 03/04/2024
Acceptance date: 04/03/2024
Date deposited: 08/03/2024
ISSN (print): 1439-6319
ISSN (electronic): 1439-6327
Publisher: Springer Nature
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05460-z
DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05460-z
Data Access Statement: Data are available upon suitable request.
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