Effect Of Coffee Supplement On Anaerobic Exercise Performance

Coffee has been proven to be an effective ergogenic aid in aerobic exercise, but the literature on whether it is effective during anaerobic exercise is lacking. The impact of coffee supplementation on exercise performance is mediated by caffeine. The caffeine content of the two intervention beverages were 100mg and 400mg, as to not exceed the daily recommended dose of 400 mg. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation is to examine the impact of different levels of caffeine on anaerobic exercise performance. METHODS: Six participants (3 male, 3 female; age=23.7±0.2 years; weight=81.0±3.6 kg; height=1.75±0.03 m) completed four experimental sessions. During the first session, participants were familiarized to all procedures used in the experimental sessions. During the three experimental sessions, subjects completed the following assessments of anaerobic performance: countermovement jump (CMJ), plyometric push-up, leg press, shoulder flexion dynamometry, and hand grip dynamometry. Prior to each experimental session, subjects consumed a 16-oz coffee beverage with 0 mg (PLAC), 100 mg (MID), or 400 mg (HIGH) of caffeine. Treatments were blinded to participants and applied in a randomized order. Subjects completed experimental sessions after a 4-hour food and 12-hour caffeine fast. RESULTS: Dynamic strength index during CMJ was greater during the PLAC (3.62±0.48 cm.sec-1) and HIGH (3.49±0.51 cm.sec-1) conditions compared to MID (2.98±0.23 cm.sec-1) (p=.04). Force generated during the shoulder press was greater during HIGH (68.5±7.3 N) than in PLAC (64.5±8.0 N) (p=.0061). No differences were observed in hand grip or leg press performance. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the level of caffeine consumption can impact anaerobic exercise performance.