Caffeine

[jzm7awb]

I recently read an interesting article from the AIS on the use of Caffeine in training, and admissions from the Wallabies (australian national rugby team) and various super 12 (now super 14) rugby teams that they use caffeine during training sessions and competitive matches. The thinking is that at moderate intake (1-3mg/kg), caffeine increases the utilisation of fat rather than glycogen in endurance training.

Does anybody have any articles / papers about the use and benefits or otherwise of caffeine in endurance training, and specifically related to rowing?

[NavigationHazard]

There may well be a link between global deforestation and the number of studies published on caffeine's effects on endurance. A quick scan of the PubMed database turns up roughly 20 pages' worth of relevant article links....

An interesting study linking caffeine, rowing, and Oz is Bruce et al., "Enhancement of 2000-m rowing performance after caffeine ingestion," Medicine In Science And Sports Exercise 2000 Nov;32(11):1958-63.

Here's the abstract:

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of caffeine ingestion on short-term endurance performance in competitive rowers.

METHODS: In this randomized double-blind crossover study, eight competitive oarsmen (peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak] 4.7+/-0.4 L x min(-1), mean +/- SD) performed three familiarization trials of a 2000-m rowing test on an air-braked ergometer, followed by three experimental trials at 3- to 7-d intervals, each 1 h after ingesting caffeine (6 or 9 mg x kg(-1) body mass) or placebo. Trials were preceded by a standardized warm-up (6 min at 225+/-39 W; 75+/-7.7% VO2peak).

RESULTS: Urinary caffeine concentration was similar before ingestion (approximately 1 mg x L(-1)) but rose to 6.2+/-3.6 and 14.5+/-7.0 mg x L(-1) for the low and high caffeine doses, respectively. Plasma free fatty acid concentration before exercise was higher after caffeine ingestion (0.29+/-0.17 and 0.39+/-0.20 mM for 6 and 9 mg x kg(-1), respectively) than after placebo (0.13+/-0.05 mM). Respiratory exchange ratio during the warm-up was also substantially lower with caffeine (0.94+/-0.09 and 0.93+/-0.06 for the low and high dose) than with placebo (0.98+/-0.12). Subjects could not distinguish between treatments before or after the exercise test. Both doses of caffeine had a similar ergogenic effect relative to placebo: performance time decreased by a mean of 1.2% (95% likely range 0.4-1.9%); the corresponding increase in mean power was 2.7% (0.4-5.0%). Performance time showed some evidence of individual differences in the effect of caffeine (SD 0.9%; 95% likely range 1.5 to -0.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of 6 or 9 mg x kg(-1) of caffeine produces a worthwhile enhancement of short-term endurance performance in a controlled laboratory setting.

Emphasis aded. This study was done at RMIT in Bundorra, Vic.

[bholland8]

There may well be a link between global deforestation and the number of studies published on caffeine's effects on endurance.