The Effects of Acute Caffeine Supplementation on Repeated-Sprint Ability in Healthy Young Non-Athletes

The ergogenic effects of caffeine supplementation on repeated-sprint ability (RSA) have produced equivocal results. This study aimed to examine the effects of 200 mg of caffeine during repeated-sprint running on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate (BLa) concentration, and sprint time (ST). Thirty-two individuals (males: n = 17, females: n = 15; age: 22 ± 1 years) participated in the study. The study followed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design, in which each participant ingested 200 mg of caffeine or placebo on separate visits 60 minutes prior to repeated-sprinting exercise. The repeated-sprint protocol consisted of three sets of six maximal-effort 30-meter sprints with 20 seconds and 5 minutes of active recovery in between sprints and sets, respectively. During each set, HR, RPE, BLa, and ST were recorded. Caffeine supplementation did not significantly (set 1: p = 0.535; set 2: p = 0.602; set 3: p = 0.189) impact HR during exercise. Similarly, RPE was not statistically (p = 0.052) altered between conditions during any of the sprint sets. The caffeine trials elicited greater BLa values after all three sets compared to the placebo trials (p < 0.001). Moreover, the caffeine trials demonstrated significantly reduced total STs during all sets compared to the placebo trials (p < 0.001). Thus, our findings suggested that 200 mg of caffeine supplementation elicited an increase in RSA in young, healthy non-athletes. These findings are accompanied by a blunted perceived exertion relative to an increase in exercise intensity during repeated-sprint exercise.