Effects of isolated or combined carbohydrate and caffeine supplementation between 2 daily training sessions on soccer performance

Effects of Acute Ingestion of Guarana (Paullinia Cupana) on Soccer Player Performance: A Randomized, Cross-over, Placebo-Controlled Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the acute effects of ingesting a beverage containing guarana (Paullinia cupana) seed powder on performance during field tests related to physical capacities that are determinants of soccer performance, such as lower limb power, sprint, agility, and the capacity to carry out intermittent exercise.

METHODS

The study was conducted using a randomized, crossover, and counterbalanced design, with a beverage containing guarana or placebo administered in a double-blind manner. Twenty-seven under-17 soccer players of a professional soccer club performed a battery of tests 60 min after the ingestion of guarana (3 g of the fruit seed powder) or placebo. Trials were performed with a 7-day washout period. The battery of tests included a countermovement jump test, sprints of 10 and 20 m, an Illinois agility test, and a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (YYIR1).

RESULTS

Guarana ingestion did not improve countermovement jump, sprints, or agility (p > 0.05). However, guarana ingestion increased the distance covered in the YYIR1, compared with placebo ingestion (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Acute ingestion of guarana improves the capacity to perform intermittent exercise in soccer players but seems to be ineffective to improve lower limb power, sprint, and agility.

A Systematic review of the factors that affect soccer players' short-passing ability-based on the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test

OBJECTIVE

This study synthesizes evidence from the Loughborough Passing Test to evaluate the short-passing ability of soccer players and summarizes the reported variables that affect this ability to provide support for the development and improvement of short-passing abilities in soccer players.

METHODS

In this systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOhost from inception to July 2023 to identify relevant articles from the accessible literature. Only studies that used the Loughborough test to assess athletes' short-passing ability were included. The quality of the included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using the PEDro scale, and two authors independently completed the data extraction.

RESULTS

Based on the type of intervention or influencing factor, ten studies investigated training, nine studies investigated fatigue, nine studies investigated supplement intake, and five studies investigated other factors.

CONCLUSION

Evidence indicates that fitness training, small-sided games training, and warm-up training have positive effects on athletes' short-passing ability, high-intensity special-position training and water intake have no discernible impact, mental and muscular exhaustion have a significantly negative effect, and the effect of nutritional ergogenic aid intake is not yet clear. Future research should examine more elements that can affect soccer players' short-passing ability.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://inplasy.com/ ., identifier: INPLASY20237.

Does caffeine ingestion affect the lower-body post-activation performance enhancement in female volleyball players?

Background

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is a physiological phenomenon that acutely improves voluntary muscular performance following a conditioning activity. A large and growing body of literature has investigated different strategies to induce a PAPE stimulus; however, little attention has been given to whether acute caffeine ingestion could augment the effect of PAPE on subsequent performance. This study evaluated the acute effects of caffeine ingestion and back squat conditioning activity on subsequent countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in female semi-professional volleyball players.

Methods

Fourteen resistance-trained female volleyball players (26 ± 3 years) performed 3 different testing conditions in randomized order: where each ingested 6 mg/kg of caffeine (CAF) or placebo (PLAC) and performed a single set of back squats at 80%1RM until mean movement velocity dropped by 10% as the conditioning activity or a control (CTRL) condition where participants did not ingest any supplement and did not perform the conditioning activity. CMJ height was examined at baseline and in 2 min intervals until 10 min postconditioning activity. Furthermore, due to the wide inter-individual variation in optimal recovery time of PAPE response, the baseline and best post-conditioning activity performance were also analyzed.

Results

The Friedman test revealed a significant difference in jump height within CTRL (p = 0.002) and CAF (p = 0.001) conditions, but no significant difference was found within the PAP condition. The post hoc showed a significant decrease in jump height in 8^th min in CTRL condition (p = 0.022, effect size [ES] = −0.31), a significant increase in jump height in 2^nd min in CAF condition (p = 0.013, ES = 0.3), without differences in PLAC condition in comparison to baseline values. Moreover, a significant jump height increases from baseline to best performance post conditioning activity value for CAF (p = 0.001, ES = 0.39) and PLAC (p = 0.001, ES = 0.3) condition, but no significant difference was found for the CTRL condition.

Conclusions

The single set of heavy-loaded back squats with controlled velocity used as a conditioning activity in the current study enhanced subsequent CMJ performance in female volleyball players with no additional effect of caffeine.

Effects of Caffeine Supplementation on Physical Performance of Soccer Players: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

Caffeine is 1 of the most popular supplements consumed by athletes, and the evidence for improving soccer performance remains limited.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate and update the effects (benefits and harms) of caffeine to improve performance on soccer players.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic search in Medline (via PubMed), CENTRAL, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and LILACS, from inception to March 28, 2020.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of caffeine on the performance of soccer players.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 1.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extraction was conducted independently by 2 authors using a piloted form. We assessed methodological quality (Cochrane risk-of-bias [RoB] table) and the certainty of the evidence (GRADE [Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation] approach).

RESULTS

Sixteen RCTs were included. Overall methodological quality was classified as unclear to low risk of bias. When assessing aerobic endurance, meta-analyses did not demonstrate the differences between caffeine and placebo (mean difference [MD], 44.9 m; 95% confidence interval [CI], -77.7 to 167.6). Similarly, no difference was observed during time to fatigue test (MD, 169.8 seconds; 95% CI, -71.8 to 411.6). Considering anaerobic power, meta-analyses also did not find differences for vertical jump (MD, 1.01 cm; 95% CI, -0.68 to 2.69) and repeated sprint tests (MD, -0.02 seconds; 95% CI, -0.09 to 0.04), as well as reaction time agility test (MD, 0.02 seconds; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.04) and rating of perceived exertion (MD, 0.16 points; 95% CI, -0.55 to 0.87). Regarding safety, a few minor adverse events were reported. Based on the GRADE approach, the certainty of this evidence was classified as very low to low.

CONCLUSION

We found no significant improvement in soccer-related performance with caffeine compared with placebo or no intervention. However, caffeine appears to be safe.

Caffeine Ingestion Affects Performance in Different Parts of a Novel Multidirectional High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Futsal Athletes

Objective: No study has analyzed the effects of caffeine ingestion on performance during a multidirectional high-intensity intermittent exercise. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of caffeine ingestion during a novel repeated agility test in futsal athletes.Methods: Using a double-blind, counterbalanced, and repeated-measures design, ten athletes (mass 71.2 ± 8.7 kg, height 1.77 ± 0.05 m, body mass index 22.7 ± 1.9 km/m², body fat percentage 10.2 ± 3.7%) performed a novel repeated-bout agility test 60 min after ingesting 6 mg · kg^-1 of caffeine or cellulose (placebo).Results: Performance time decreased progressively throughout the trial in both conditions (P = 0.01; η_p² = 0.66), with a significant interaction effect (P = 0.01; η_p² = 0.35) showing a potential beneficial effect of caffeine at the beginning, followed by a decrease at the end of the test. Furthermore, magnitude of decrease in performance was more pronounced in caffeine (-9.0 ± 5.7%) compared with placebo (-4.7 ± 3.9%, P = 0.01; d = 0.88). Interestingly, magnitude-based inferences revealed a possible benefit (70%) of caffeine at the beginning, followed by likely (93%) to very likely (96%) impairments in performance during the last third of the test. Heart rate and rating of perceived effort increased in both conditions over the time (P < 0.05), with similar values between experimental conditions (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Caffeine seems to have a potential beneficial effect at the beginning, with an impaired performance during the final third of a new multidirectional high-intensity intermittent exercise in futsal athletes.

Sustained Passing Performance of Elite and Subelite Female Soccer Players Following a Female Match-Specific Exercise Protocol

PURPOSE

This study examined the maintenance of passing performance following soccer-specific high-intensity intermittent exercise in elite (n = 9) and subelite (n = 11) Western Australian female soccer players (19.5 [2.5] y).

METHODS

A total of 20 participants completed the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) prior to, during, and following 90 minutes of a modified, female-specific, individualized exercise protocol (Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test [LIST]) to simulate 2 halves of a soccer match. Performance in the LSPT was calculated by adding "raw time" to the accumulated "penalty time" for each test.

RESULTS

Elite players recorded greater distances (t58 = 4.671, P < .001, effect size [ES] = 1.21) and higher derived VO2max values (t58 = 4.715, P < .001, ES = 1.20) for the LIST exercise protocol over the subelite players. The total performance times for each LSPT were longer in the subelites in comparison with the elites, with a very large ES difference seen in post-LIST1 (t18 = -6.64, P < .001, ES = 2.99) and post-LIST2 (t18 = -9.143, P < .001, ES = 4.12). No between-groups differences were identified for "raw time" at any time point. Hence, all reported LSPT performance differences are attributed to "penalty time."

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that elite players can sustain their passing performance more efficiently throughout match play that can subelite female soccer players. These findings may contribute to future talent-identification testing by helping to distinguish between elite- and subelite-level players through sustained passing performance. Coaches may also use this information to better inform best-practice training methods through modification of male soccer-specific high-intensity intermittent exercise to a female cohort.

The Effect of Acute Caffeine Ingestion on Cognitive Dual Task Performance during Assessment of Static and Dynamic Balance in Older Adults

The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 mg·kg⁻¹ caffeine consumption on the standing and dynamic balance performance of older adults and sought to establish if caffeine ingestion can modulate the influence of a cognitive dual task on balance performance. Twelve apparently healthy participants (8 females) aged >65 years (72 ± 3.7 years) completed the study. Bipedal postural sway, four square step test, timed up and go, Y-balance (anterior reach only) and force-time characteristics of sit-to-stand performance were used to assess standing and dynamic balance. Attention and working memory were assessed using a serial 3s and 7s subtraction task during seated rest and completion of the bipedal standing assessment and Y-balance test. This battery of assessments was completed on two separate occasions, once following the consumption of a non-ergogenic placebo and again following the consumption of 3 mg·kg⁻¹ caffeine. The administration of treatments was randomised, counterbalanced and double-blind. Caffeine reduced performance in the bipedal standing balance assessments, evidenced by an increase in COP_ML, COP_Path, COP_Velocity. Performance during the dynamic balance tests was unaffected, other than rate of force development during the sit-to-stand, which was improved following caffeine ingestion. The introduction of a cognitive dual task had either limited effects, or improved facets of bipedal standing balance, whilst performance during the dynamic balance task was significantly reduced. In both balance assessments, there was evidence for a reduction in the performance of the cognitive task when both the balance and cognitive tests were performed simultaneously, with this effect not modulated by caffeine consumption. These findings refute the idea that caffeine ingestion may have positive effects on balance performance. However, despite a caffeine-induced reduction in bipedal standing balance, it is unlikely that caffeine ingestion would exacerbate fall risk given the limited effects in the dynamic balance tests. Future work should establish if these effects are generalisable to older frail participants and if caffeine can modulate the detrimental effects of an acute exercise bout on balance performance.

Caffeine improves performance but not duration of the countermovement jump phases

BACKGROUND

The countermovement jump (CMJ) test is often employed to assess power generated in the lower limbs and has been related to performance in several sports modalities. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of caffeine supplementation on jump height, average power (AP), peak power (PP), maximum velocity (V<inf>max</inf>), force production and duration of the eccentric, isometric and concentric muscle contraction phases of a CMJ.

METHODS

Sixteen resistance-trained men (age: 22.69±2.12 years; height: 1.78±0.06 m; weight: 78.09±10.27 kg) performed a CMJ 60 minutes after having taken an oral supplement containing 6 mg·kg^-1 of caffeine or placebo (sucrose). The study design was randomized, double-blind crossover.

RESULTS

Caffeine ingestion improved jump height (+3.86%, P=0.02), V<inf>max</inf> (+1.49%, P=0.023), AP (+4.83%, P=0.006), and PP (+3.49%, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Acute caffeine supplementation leads to improved CMJ height, V<inf>max</inf>, AP and PP without significantly affecting the duration of the different test phases. Therefore, caffeine supplementation may be employed as ergogenic aid in sports where CMJ performance has been associated with sport-specific performance enhancements.

Caffeine improves various aspects of athletic performance in adolescents independent of their 163 C > A CYP1A2 genotypes

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether variations in 163 C > A CYP1A2 genotypes (rs 762 551) (AA, AC, and CC) modify the ergogenic effects of caffeine (CAF) on strength, power, muscular endurance, agility, and endurance in adolescent athletes.

METHODS

One hundred adolescents (age = 15 ± 2 years) were recruited. Participants ingested CAF (6 mg.kg^-1 ) or placebo (PLA, 300 mg of cellulose) 1 hour before performing a sequence of physical tests: handgrip strength, vertical jumps, agility test, sit-ups, push-ups, and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1).

RESULTS

Compared to PLA, CAF enhanced (P < .05) sit-up (CAF = 37 ± 9; PLA = 35 ± 8 repetitions) and push-up repetitions (CAF = 26 ± 11; PLA = 24 ± 11 repetitions), and increased distance covered in Yo-Yo IR1 test (CAF = 1010.4 ± 378.9; PLA = 903.2 ± 325.7 m). There was no influence of CAF on handgrip strength (CAF = 35.1 ± 8.9; PLA = 33.7 ± 8.7 kgf), countermovement jump height (CAF = 49.3 ± 12.6; PLA = 47.9 ± 13.8 cm), spike jump height (CAF = 54.2 ± 13.6; PLA = 52.9 ± 14.5 cm), and time in agility test (CAF = 15.8 ± 1.1; PLA = 15.9 ± 1.3 s, P > .05). When present, the ergogenic effect of CAF was not dependent of genotype.

CONCLUSION

CAF improves muscular endurance and aerobic performance in adolescent athletes, regardless of their 163 C > A CYP1A2 genotype.

Effect of carbohydrate-electrolyte consumption on insulin, cortisol hormones and blood glucose after high-intensity exercise

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of CHO-E consumption after high-intensity exercise on insulin, cortisol hormones and blood glucose responses, which is important for performance and recovery in athletes. Methods: Sixteen volunteers, male athletes, participated into this study. Athletes were divided into two groups as experiment (CHO-E) and placebo (PLA). Blood was taken from the athletes three times as basal, post-exercise (PE) and 2 h after ingestion of supplement (PS). Results: When inter-group comparisons, insulin was significantly higher in the CHO-E group than the PLA group at the PS phase (p < .05). Cortisol significantly decreased in the CHO-E group at the PS compared to the PE (p < .05). Conclusions: Carbohydrate-electrolyte consumption after high-intensity exercise, accelerates the recovery process by providing optimal recovery, and enable the metabolism to remain in the anabolic state by preventing it from entering in the catabolic process as well as provides hormonal balance in metabolism.

Caffeine Supplementation and Physical Performance, Muscle Damage and Perception of Fatigue in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review

Soccer is a complex team sport and success in this discipline depends on different factors such as physical fitness, player technique and team tactics, among others. In the last few years, several studies have described the impact of caffeine intake on soccer physical performance, but the results of these investigations have not been properly reviewed and summarized. The main objective of this review was to evaluate critically the effectiveness of a moderate dose of caffeine on soccer physical performance. A structured search was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in the Medline/PubMed and Web of Science databases from January 2007 to November 2018. The search included studies with a cross-over and randomized experimental design in which the intake of caffeine (either from caffeinated drinks or pills) was compared to an identical placebo situation. There were no filters applied to the soccer players’ level, gender or age. This review included 17 articles that investigated the effects of caffeine on soccer-specific abilities (n = 12) or on muscle damage (n = 5). The review concluded that 5 investigations (100% of the number of investigations on this topic) had found ergogenic effects of caffeine on jump performance, 4 (100%) on repeated sprint ability and 2 (100%) on running distance during a simulated soccer game. However, only 1 investigation (25%) found as an effect of caffeine to increase serum markers of muscle damage, while no investigation reported an effect of caffeine to reduce perceived fatigue after soccer practice. In conclusion, a single and moderate dose of caffeine, ingested 5–60 min before a soccer practice, might produce valuable improvements in certain abilities related to enhanced soccer physical performance. However, caffeine does not seem to cause increased markers of muscle damage or changes in perceived exertion during soccer practice.

Acute Ingestion of Caffeinated Chewing Gum Improves Repeated Sprint Performance of Team Sport Athletes With Low Habitual Caffeine Consumption

The effects of acute ingestion of caffeine on short-duration high-intensity performance are equivocal, while studies of novel modes of delivery and the efficacy of low doses of caffeine are warranted. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of caffeinated chewing gum on repeated sprint performance (RSP) in team sport athletes, and whether habitual caffeine consumption alters the ergogenic effect, if any, on RSP. A total of 18 male team sport athletes undertook four RSP trials using a 40-m maximum shuttle run test, which incorporates 10 × 40-m sprints with 30 s between the start of each sprint. Each participant completed two familiarization sessions, followed by caffeine (CAF; caffeinated chewing gum; 200 mg caffeine) and placebo (PLA; noncaffeinated chewing gum) trials in a randomized, double-blind manner. RSP, assessed by sprint performance decrement (%), did not differ (p = .209; effect size = 0.16; N = 18) between CAF (5.00 ± 2.84%) and PLA (5.43 ± 2.68%). Secondary analysis revealed that low habitual caffeine consumers (<40 mg/day, n = 10) experienced an attenuation of sprint performance decrement during CAF relative to PLA (5.53 ± 3.12% vs. 6.53 ± 2.91%, respectively; p = .049; effect size =0.33); an effect not observed in moderate/high habitual caffeine consumers (>130 mg/day, n = 6; 3.98 ± 2.57% vs. 3.80 ± 1.79%, respectively; p = .684; effect size = 0.08). The data suggest that a low dose of caffeine in the form of caffeinated chewing gum attenuates the sprint performance decrement during RSP by team sport athletes with low, but not moderate-to-high, habitual consumption of caffeine.

A low-dose, 6-week bovine colostrum supplementation maintains performance and attenuates inflammatory indices following a Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test in soccer players

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a 6-week, low-dose bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and performance decline in soccer players following the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) during a competitive season period.

METHODS

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design, two groups of soccer players were allocated to a 3.2 g/day of whey protein (WP, N = 8) or BC (N = 10) and performed a pre- and a post-supplementation LIST. Maximum isometric voluntary contraction, squat jump (SQJ), countermovement jump, muscle soreness, blood cell counts, creatine kinase (CK), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were monitored for 2, 24, 48, 72 h post-LIST.

RESULTS

LIST induced transient increases in leukocytes, granulocytes, CK, muscle soreness, CRP, IL-6 and declines in lymphocytes and performance indices. Supplementation resulted in a faster recovery of SQJ, CK and CRP compared to pre-supplementation kinetics (trial × time: p = 0.001, 0.056, 0.014, respectively) and lower incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for IL-6, only in the BC group [pre-: 31.1 (6.78-46.9), post-: 14.0 (-0.16 to 23.5) pg h/ml, p = 0.034]. Direct comparison of the two groups after supplementation demonstrated higher iAUC of SQJ [WP: -195.2 (-229.0 to (-52.5)), BC: -15.8 (-93.2 to 16.8) cm h, p = 0.034], a trend for lower iAUC of CK in the BC group [WP: 18,785 (4651-41,357), BC: 8842 (4807-14,802) U h/L, p = 0.081] and a significant intervention × time interaction for CRP (p = 0.038) in favor of BC.

CONCLUSIONS

Post-exercise EIMD may be reduced and performance better maintained by a low dose of BC administration following LIST in soccer players.

Effects of caffeine intake on muscle strength and power: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Caffeine is commonly used as an ergogenic aid. Literature about the effects of caffeine ingestion on muscle strength and power is equivocal. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize results from individual studies on the effects of caffeine intake on muscle strength and power.

Methods

A search through eight databases was performed to find studies on the effects of caffeine on: (i) maximal muscle strength measured using 1 repetition maximum tests; and (ii) muscle power assessed by tests of vertical jump. Meta-analyses of standardized mean differences (SMD) between placebo and caffeine trials from individual studies were conducted using the random effects model.

Results

Ten studies on the strength outcome and ten studies on the power outcome met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analyses. Caffeine ingestion improved both strength (SMD = 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03, 0.36; p = 0.023) and power (SMD = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.34; p = 0.047). A subgroup analysis indicated that caffeine significantly improves upper (SMD = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.39; p = 0.026) but not lower body strength (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI: -0.05, 0.34; p = 0.147).

Conclusion

The meta-analyses showed significant ergogenic effects of caffeine ingestion on maximal muscle strength of upper body and muscle power. Future studies should more rigorously control the effectiveness of blinding. Due to the paucity of evidence, additional findings are needed in the female population and using different forms of caffeine, such as gum and gel.

Nutrition and Supplementation in Soccer

Contemporary elite soccer features increased physical demands during match-play, as well as a larger number of matches per season. Now more than ever, aspects related to performance optimization are highly regarded by both players and soccer coaches. Here, nutrition takes a special role as most elite teams try to provide an adequate diet to guarantee maximum performance while ensuring a faster recovery from matches and training exertions. It is currently known that manipulation and periodization of macronutrients, as well as sound hydration practices, have the potential to interfere with training adaptation and recovery. A careful monitoring of micronutrient status is also relevant to prevent undue fatigue and immune impairment secondary to a deficiency status. Furthermore, the sensible use of evidence-based dietary supplements may also play a role in soccer performance optimization. In this sense, several nutritional recommendations have been issued. This detailed and comprehensive review addresses the most relevant and up-to-date nutritional recommendations for elite soccer players, covering from macro and micronutrients to hydration and selected supplements in different contexts (daily requirements, pre, peri and post training/match and competition).

Caffeine and cardiovascular diseases: critical review of current research

Caffeine is a most widely consumed physiological stimulant worldwide, which is consumed via natural sources, such as coffee and tea, and now marketed sources such as energy drinks and other dietary supplements. This wide use has led to concerns regarding the safety of caffeine and its proposed beneficial role in alertness, performance and energy expenditure and side effects in the cardiovascular system. The question remains "Which dose is safe?", as the population does not appear to adhere to the strict guidelines listed on caffeine consumption. Studies in humans and animal models yield controversial results, which can be explained by population, type and dose of caffeine and low statistical power. This review will focus on comprehensive and critical review of the current literature and provide an avenue for further study.