Abstract
The effects of caffeine were investigated in judo, boxing, taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. However, this substance was never investigated regarding traditional jiu-jitsu. Therefore, the aim of this research was to analyze the effects of caffeine in the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) and technical variables during combat in traditional jiu-jitsu elite athletes. Methods: Twenty-two young professionals of traditional jiu-jitsu, 11 men and 11 women (age = 22 ± 4 (18–33) years, body mass = 66.6 ± 10.8 (46.2–86.1) kg, height = 1.70 ± 0.9 (1.55–1.85) m) with 15 ± 7 years of experience in traditional jiu-jitsu, participated in a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover study. In two different conditions, the traditional jiu-jitsu athletes ingested 3 mg/kg body mass of caffeine or a placebo. After 60 min, they performed the SJFT test to measure throwing performance, and subsequently, combat to analyze offensive and defensive hitting techniques. Results: Caffeine had a main effect on the number of throws during the SJFT test (P < 0.01). In addition, it was effective in sets 2 (13 ± 2 vs. 14 ± 2; p = 0.01) and 3 (12 ± 2 vs. 13 ± 1; p = 0.03). There was also a main effect during the test on heart rate when caffeine was ingested (F = 12.48, p < 0.01). The effects of caffeine were similar compared to the placebo condition regarding performance during combat both in offensive and defensive fighting variables Conclusions: the pre-exercise ingestion of 3 mg/kg body mass of caffeine increased performance in the SJFT test, decreased fatigue perception, and increased power and endurance perception in professionally traditional jiu-jitsu athletes. However, it did not seem to improve offensive and defensive technical actions during combat.
Highlights
Caffeine is a psychoactive substance that can be found naturally in tea leaves, cocoa, coffee, and yerba mate
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of caffeine on the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) and offensive and defensive technical actions during combat, with a real context in professional traditional jiu-jitsu athletes
The administration of caffeine in combat sports appears to be beneficial for performance enhancement [7]
Summary
Caffeine is a psychoactive substance that can be found naturally in tea leaves, cocoa, coffee, and yerba mate. Note that in combat sports, both in specific tests and in simulated combat, overall, the administration of caffeine between 3–9 mg/kg of the body and in different forms has shown ergogenicity [3,4,5,6]. To date, such effects have reported benefits in different combat sports, such as judo, taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and boxing; it has not yet been investigated in disciplines such as traditional jiu-jitsu [7]
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