Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of caffeine intake on overall basketball performance in experienced players. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized experimental design was used for this investigation. In two different sessions separated by one week, 20 experienced basketball players ingested 3 mg of caffeine/kg of body mass or a placebo. After 60 min, participants performed 10 repetitions of the following sequence: Abalakov jump, Change-of-Direction and Acceleration Test (CODAT) and two free throws. Later, heart rate, body impacts and game statistics were recorded during a 20-min simulated basketball game. In comparison to the placebo, the ingestion of caffeine increased mean jump height (37.3 ± 6.8 vs. 38.2 ± 7.4 cm; p = 0.012), but did not change mean time in the CODAT test or accuracy in free throws. During the simulated game, caffeine increased the number of body impacts (396 ± 43 vs. 410 ± 41 impacts/min; p < 0.001) without modifying mean or peak heart rate. Caffeine also increased the performance index rating (7.2 ± 8.6 vs. 10.6 ± 7.1; p = 0.037) during the game. Nevertheless, players showed a higher prevalence of insomnia (19.0 vs. 54.4%; p = 0.041) after the game. Three mg of caffeine per kg of body mass could be an effective ergogenic substance to increase physical performance and overall success in experienced basketball players.
Highlights
Elite athletes typically use different nutritional and ergogenic strategies to improve sport-specific performance, and caffeine is one of the most consumed substances because of its effectiveness to increase physical performance in both team and individual sports [1,2,3]
The high use of caffeine in sports is related to both social and physiological factors: Caffeine and caffeinated products are commercially available at a very low price, its consumption is frequently associated to social behaviors and the world of sport has always had a high tolerance for the use of this stimulant [5]; in addition, caffeine is rapidly absorbed with peak plasma concentration 40–80 min after its ingestion, while caffeine can interact with many tissues in the body, producing a myriad of physiological effects in several organs [6]
In comparison to the placebo, the ingestion of caffeine increased the mean jump height reached during the 10 repetitions of the Abalakov test (37.3 ± 6.8 vs. 38.2 ± 7.4 cm; 95% confidence interval for the mean difference (95% CI) = 0.3 to 1.6 cm; d = 0.14; p = 0.012)
Summary
Elite athletes typically use different nutritional and ergogenic strategies to improve sport-specific performance, and caffeine is one of the most consumed substances because of its effectiveness to increase physical performance in both team and individual sports [1,2,3]. The stimulant effect of caffeine in the central nervous stimulant, acting through the blockade of central and peripheral adenosine receptors [7], is considered as the most common mechanism of action related to increased physical and sports performance, it is not the only mechanism proposed [6,8]. All of these physiological outcomes suggest that caffeine’s. Caffeine intake has repeatedly been found effective to increase the number of movements and distance covered at high-intensity during simulated and real rugby [10,13], soccer [11,14], hockey [17] and volleyball games [1,18]
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