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No effect of caffeine on exercise performance in high ambient temperature

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 111, pages 3089–3095 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Caffeine, an adenosine receptor antagonist, has shown to improve performance in normal ambient temperature, presumably via an effect on dopaminergic neurotransmission through the antagonism of adenosine receptors. However, there is very limited evidence from studies that administered caffeine and examined its effects on exercise in the heat. Therefore, we wanted to study the effects of caffeine on performance and thermoregulation in high ambient temperature. Eight healthy trained male cyclists completed two experimental trials (in 30°C) in a double-blind-randomized crossover design. Subjects ingested either placebo (6 mg/kg) or caffeine (6 mg/kg) 1 h prior to exercise. Subjects cycled for 60 min at 55% W max, immediately followed by a time trial to measure performance. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Caffeine did not change performance (p = 0.462). Rectal temperature was significantly elevated after caffeine administration (p < 0.036). Caffeine significantly increased B-endorphin plasma concentrations at the end of the time trial (p = 0.032). The present study showed no ergogenic effect of caffeine when administered 1 h before exercise in 30°C. This confirms results from a previous study that examined the effects of caffeine administration on a short (15 min) time trial in 40°C. However, caffeine increased core temperature during exercise. Presumably, the rate of increase in core temperature may have counteracted the ergogenic effects of caffeine. However, other factors such as interindividual differences in response to caffeine and changes in neurotransmitter concentrations might also be responsible for the lack of performance improvement of caffeine in high ambient temperature.

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Acknowledgments

We want to acknowledge the hard work of Giullia De Ioannon, Vinciane Fontenelle, Michael Marien, Marco Iorio, Gerd Vande Velde and Eric Muyldermans during the experiments. Bart Roelands is a postdoctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO). This study was supported by research funding from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (OZR 990 and 1235).

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Physiology and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Bart Roelands, Luk Buyse, Frank Pauwels & Romain Meeusen

  2. DoCoLab, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Universiteit Gent, Ghent, Belgium

    Frans Delbeke & Koen Deventer

Authors
  1. Bart Roelands
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  2. Luk Buyse
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  3. Frank Pauwels
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  4. Frans Delbeke
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  5. Koen Deventer
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  6. Romain Meeusen
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Correspondence to Romain Meeusen.

Additional information

Communicated by Jacques R. Poortmans.

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Roelands, B., Buyse, L., Pauwels, F. et al. No effect of caffeine on exercise performance in high ambient temperature. Eur J Appl Physiol 111, 3089–3095 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-1945-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-1945-9

Keywords

  • Central fatigue
  • Adenosine receptor antagonism
  • Time trial
  • Exercise
  • Heat