Effect Of Caffeine Ingestion On Performance During A Repeated-bout Agility Test In Handball Players

Abstract

PURPOSE: To verify whether caffeine would alter the psychophysiological responses and agility performance during repeated bouts of an agility test in handball players. METHODS: 10 recreationally handball players (20.6 ± 3.3 years, 81.5 ± 10.0 kg, 1.80 ± 0.1 m) performed 6 exercise bouts, interspersed by 1-min recovery intervals, of an agility test (Illinois Agility Run Test) 60 min after ingesting, in a double-blind matter, either caffeine (5 mg·kg-1 of body mass) or placebo (cellulose). The total exercise-bout time (sum of all time during each of the 6 exercise bouts) was compared between conditions using a paired t test, while the rating of perceived effort (RPE), heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentration ([La]) were compared between conditions using a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (condition and bout factors). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between caffeine (114.3 ± 5.9 s) and placebo (114.4 ± 4.7 s) conditions for total exercise-bout time (P > 0.05). The RPE increased progressively throughout the test in all conditions (P < 0.05), but without significant differences between caffeine (bout 1: 8.1 ± 1.6; bout 6: 15.6 ± 4.1) and placebo (bout 1: 7.9 ± 1.1; bout 6: 15.5 ± 4.0) conditions (P > 0.05). Similar responses were found for HR, revealing an exponential increase during the test in both conditions (P < 0.05), but with no differences when caffeine condition (rest: 74 ± 17 bpm; bout 6: 179 ± 14 bpm) was compared with placebo condition (bout 1: 83 ± 15 bpm; bout 6: 183 ± 14 bpm; P > 0.05). Furthermore, the [La] increased linearly over the test in both conditions (P < 0.05), but it was significantly higher in caffeine (16.2 ± 2.7 mmol·L-1) compared with placebo (13.8 ± 2.9 mmol·L-1) 3 min after the repeated-bout agility test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Caffeine ingestion increases the glycolytic flux but does not alter the performance during a repeated-bout agility test in handball players.