Caffeine timing improves lower-body muscular performance

[eatyourspinach]

Background

Caffeine is a commonly-consumed stimulant that has been shown to improve force production, power production, and muscular endurance in a variety of populations. However, little is known about the optimal time to consume caffeine prior to exercise to maximize the ergogenic benefits of the substance. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the optimal pre-exercise time interval to consume caffeine to maximize force production, fatigue resistance, and power production. Secondary purposes of this investigation were to determine the presence of any gender differences in responses to timed caffeine administration and identify the general ergogenic effect of acute caffeine supplementation on muscular performance.

Materials and Methods

Healthy, resistance-trained males (n=18; Mean±SD; Age: 25.1±5.7 years; Height: 178.4±7.1 cm; Body mass: 91.3±13.5 kg; Percent bodyfat: 20.7±5.2; Average caffeine consumption: 146.6±100.3 mg·day-1) and females (n=11; Mean±SD; Age: 20.1±1.6 years; Height: 165.0±8.8 cm; Body mass: 65.8±10.0 kg; Percent bodyfat: 25.8±4.2; Average caffeine consumption: 111.8±91.7 mg·day-1) were recruited to participate in this investigation. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion, participants consumed 6 mg·kg-1 caffeine or placebo solution at three time points: 2 hours prior (2H), 1 hour prior (1H), or 30 minutes prior (30M) to exercise testing. During 3 visits, caffeine was administered at one time point, while placebo was administered at all time points during one visit. Following consumption of the supplements, participants performed a lower-body testing battery consisting of isometric mid-thigh pulls (IMTP), countermovement vertical jumps (CMVJ), and isometric/isokinetic knee extensor testing (ISO/ISOK). Repeated measures ANOVAs, paired-samples t-tests, and effect size calculations were used to analyze all outcomes.

Results

Caffeine administered at 1H significantly improved absolute CMVJ and ISO performance relative to placebo. Mean CMVJ jump height was significantly higher during 1H compared to 30M. However, only caffeine administered at 30M significantly improved absolute measures of isokinetic performance. Analysis of the pooled caffeine conditions and the change in performance for each condition relative to placebo revealed that muscular performance was more consistently augmented by caffeine in males compared to females.

Conclusions

Pre-exercise caffeine timing significantly modulated responses to the substance, with 1H exerting the most consistent ergogenic benefits relative to other time points, particularly compared to 2H. Male participants were found to respond more consistently to caffeine compared to female participants. These results suggest that active individuals can maximize the ergogenic effects of caffeine by consuming the substance approximately one hour prior to the point when peak muscular performance is desired.

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/arti...-00352-x#Sec73

[TheFugitive]

Liked "timing"

[DASBUNKER]

Does low-moderate caffeine even has ergogenic effects through any legit muscle mediated pathways? I mean other "mental" gainz to hype you up and help you push further that usual.

[mtpaquette]

Does low-moderate caffeine even has ergogenic effects through any legit muscle mediated pathways? I mean other "mental" gainz to hype you up and help you push further that usual.

I believe it mildly helps block pain receptors. Don't quote me on that. Exercise physiology was a long time ago.

[eatyourspinach]

Does low-moderate caffeine even has ergogenic effects through any legit muscle mediated pathways? I mean other "mental" gainz to hype you up and help you push further that usual.

you would have to define moderate https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/arti.../1550-2783-7-5

[TheFugitive]

I believe it mildly helps block pain receptors. Don't quote me on that. Exercise physiology was a long time ago.

You believe it blocks pain receptors. How does it effect you? and why do we always have to refer to some study or someone else's findings

They say it works so it must, lol. I'm more interested in your thoughts

[TheFugitive]

Can I ask a serious question. All the experience and knowledge that lies in this section, (I'm referring to us) and we still refer to studies for reassurance

[mtpaquette]

You believe it blocks pain receptors. How does it effect you? and why do we always have to refer to some study or someone else's findings

They say it works so it must, lol. I'm more interested in your thoughts

I believe that is what we learned in Ex Physio during our brief coverage of ergogenic aids; which would have been evidence based off a study. They're not going to print anything in our text books that weren't backed by prior science, or our degrees would have been a joke. The reason we look to science is for actual evidence and not a bunch of placebos. Do you still supplement with +10g of glutamine and arginine like the late 90s and early 00s? Not likely because we've learned through studies that orally there's no benefits in recovery and pumps by supplementing them. It's a very different industry than it was 5-10 years ago; and there's a reason most products hitting the market are almost identical. Everyone is sticking to what is backed now.


If that weren't the case and you had a bunch of products built off placebo you'd have a ton of products on the market that "gave high school kids epic steriod like gains" when they're taking a pre packed with arginine, BA, creatine, and some caffeine sprinkled in with nothing more that would have no effect on you or I.

[DASBUNKER]

I believe it mildly helps block pain receptors. Don't quote me on that. Exercise physiology was a long time ago.

I can see that happening, but question is could you accomplish the same if you just ignored the pain caff numbs?

you would have to define moderate https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/arti.../1550-2783-7-5

I's say 1-2mg/kg would be low-moderate, but I see the researchers had another definition.. other than the pain blocking thing I don't see strong MOA for it's ergogenics benefits... it does help tho but wonder if it's not only 90% mental driven thing.


PS I'm personally trying to justify quitting caffeine by minimizing its effects lol right now it doesnt do much for me energy wise and would hate to enter an on and off cycle.

[eatyourspinach]

Can I ask a serious question. All the experience and knowledge that lies in this section, (I'm referring to us) and we still refer to studies for reassurance

You advocate using BCAAs but the amount had to come from somewhere...

I's say 1-2mg/kg would be low-moderate, but I see the researchers had another definition.. other than the pain blocking thing I don't see strong MOA for it's ergogenics benefits... it does help tho but wonder if it's not only 90% mental driven thing.


PS I'm personally trying to justify quitting caffeine by minimizing its effects lol right now it doesnt do much for me energy wise and would hate to enter an on and off cycle.

While I do use it every day, I do try to use it more as an as needed thing 300 mg in the morning since I have to be up at 5 am to workout and just a cup of coffee the rest of the day but I do really enjoy coffee so it's partially that

[DASBUNKER]

You advocate using BCAAs but the amount had to come from somewhere...



While I do use it every day, I do try to use it more as an as needed thing 300 mg in the morning since I have to be up at 5 am to workout and just a cup of coffee the rest of the day but I do really enjoy coffee so it's partially that

Yeah lifting early without caff can be challenging, idk I think citrulline plays a bigger role on energy levels now that I haven't been using it lately, to the point using caffeine to crash after 5hrs isn't worth it for me anymore.

[TheFugitive]

You advocate using BCAAs but the amount had to come from somewhere...



While I do use it every day, I do try to use it more as an as needed thing 300 mg in the morning since I have to be up at 5 am to workout and just a cup of coffee the rest of the day but I do really enjoy coffee so it's partially that

My BCAA beliefs come from years of training. What works for them might not work for you

[TheFugitive]

I believe that is what we learned in Ex Physio during our brief coverage of ergogenic aids; which would have been evidence based off a study. They're not going to print anything in our text books that weren't backed by prior science, or our degrees would have been a joke. The reason we look to science is for actual evidence and not a bunch of placebos. Do you still supplement with +10g of glutamine and arginine like the late 90s and early 00s? Not likely because we've learned through studies that orally there's no benefits in recovery and pumps by supplementing them. It's a very different industry than it was 5-10 years ago; and there's a reason most products hitting the market are almost identical. Everyone is sticking to what is backed now.


If that weren't the case and you had a bunch of products built off placebo you'd have a ton of products on the market that "gave high school kids epic steriod like gains" when they're taking a pre packed with arginine, BA, creatine, and some caffeine sprinkled in with nothing more that would have no effect on you or I.

Studies show BCAAs and CEE to be beneficial, but we've been taught to believe otherwise through future studies. Believe in yourself. And for all the similar formulas, thats called "trendy"

[eatyourspinach]

My BCAA beliefs come from years of training. What works for them might not work for you

So how much did you find worked for you? Was it just an arbitrary number?

[TheFugitive]

So how much did you find worked for you? Was it just an arbitrary number?

10 grams intra

[eatyourspinach]

10 grams intra

from what supplement?

[lucia316]

Can I ask a serious question. All the experience and knowledge that lies in this section, (I'm referring to us) and we still refer to studies for reassurance

Brb, going out to buy leeches to treat my headache...