The effect of acute caffeine ingestion on upper body anaerobic exercise and cognitive performance

Abstract

The current study examined the effect of acute caffeine ingestion on mean and peak power production during upper body Wingate test (WANT) performance, rating of perceived exertion, readiness to invest effort and cognitive performance. Using a double-blind design, 12 males undertook upper body WANTs, following ingestion of caffeine (5 mg*kg−1) or placebo. Pre-substance ingestion, 60 mins post substance ingestion and post exercise participants completed measures of readiness to invest physical and mental effort and cognitive performance. Peak power was significantly higher (P = .026), fatigue index greater (P = .02) and rating of perceived exertion lower (P = .025) in the presence of caffeine. Readiness to invest physical effort was also higher (P = .016) in the caffeine condition irrespective of time point (pre, 60 mins post ingestion and post exercise). Response accuracy for incongruent trials on the Flanker task was superior in the presence of caffeine (P = .006). There was a significant substance × time interaction for response speed in both congruent and incongruent conditions (both P = .001) whereby response speeds were faster at 60 mins post ingestion and post exercise in the caffeine condition, compared to placebo. This is the first study to examine the effects of caffeine ingestion on this modality of exercise and suggests that caffeine ingestion significantly enhances peak power, readiness to invest physical effort, and cognitive performance during WANT performance.