The Effects Of Caffeine On Athletic Agility

Abstract

Agility, the ability to explosively break, change direction, and accelerate again, is a skill that involves speed, reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), as well as other performance variables. Since previous research has indicated that caffeine may function as an ergogenic aid for speed, RT, and MT, it is logical to question whether caffeine supplementation will measurably affect athletic agility and, therefore, overall anaerobic performance. PURPOSE To determine whether an acute (6 mg·kg−1) dose enhances either agility or anaerobic power. METHODS Sixteen adult men performed two trials of each of the following tests at the same time on different days spaced 2–3 days apart: (a) the Pro-agility Run test and (b) the 30-s Wingate test. Ingestion of the caffeine supplement versus a placebo was randomly assigned to either the first or second trial for each test. Mean values for time (s) recorded during the Pro-Agility Run test as well as peak power output (J), mean power output (J), and % power decrease observed during the Wingate test were calculated. RESULTS Agility times (mean ± SD), in seconds, were for the Caffeine (4.75 ± .29) and Placebo (4.78 ± .26) trials. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) comparing Placebo and Caffeine trials revealed no significant difference in: (a) Pro-agility Run times F (1,15) = 0.004, p >.05; (b) peak power output F (1, 14) = 0.005, p >.05; (c) mean power output F (1, 14) = 0.90, p >.05; or (d) % power decrease F (1,14) = 0.49, p >.05. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that caffeine does not have an effect on athletic agility as determined by the Pro-Agility Run test or on anaerobic power as determined by the 30-s Wingate test. It is possible, however, that variables such as caffeine dosage, habitual caffeine usage, and subject training status could have influenced these results and could also affect the outcome of future studies involving caffeine and aspects of anaerobic performance.