Real and Perceived Effects of Caffeine on Sprint Cycling in Experienced Cyclists

Abstract

Anderson, DE, German, RE, Harrison, ME, Bourassa, KN, and Taylor, CE. Real and perceived effects of caffeine on sprint cycling in experienced cyclists. J Strength Cond Res 34(4): 929–933, 2020—Caffeine ingestion before an exercise bout may provide ergogenic effects on anaerobic performance, particularly in trained athletes. However, the degree of influence of caffeine may be coupled with the placebo effect. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized design was used to determine the real and perceived effects of caffeine on anaerobic performance. Ten competitively trained cyclists (9 men and 1 woman) completed 3 trials of the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Subjects were given coffee that they believed contained a high caffeine dose, a low caffeine dose, or a placebo 45 minutes before WAnT. Subjects were actually given 2 placebos (decaffeinated coffee) and one dose of caffeine (280 mg). Level of significance was p ≤ 0.05. No significant differences were found between trials for blood lactate concentration and heart rate. Seven of the subjects (70%) correctly identified the caffeine trial as the high caffeine trial. Time to peak power was significantly shorter for the trial in which subjects incorrectly guessed they had consumed caffeine when given the placebo compared with placebo trial (1.6 ± 0.1 vs. 2.3 ± 0.2 seconds). Power drop was significantly higher for the trial in which subjects incorrectly guessed they had consumed caffeine when given the placebo compared with placebo trial (524 ± 37 vs. 433 ± 35 W). There seems to be a placebo effect of caffeine on anaerobic performance. Improved performance may result from psychological advantages rather than physical advantages. Coaches may find it beneficial to use a placebo to improve anaerobic performance, especially if concerned about the side effects or cost of caffeine.