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Physiologic effects of caffeine on cross-country runners
Larry J Birnbaum1, Jacob D Herbst
1Department of Exercise Physiology, College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota 55811, USA. lbirnbau@css.edu
Abstract:
This study determined the physiological effects of caffeine on cross-country runners during submaximal exercise. Ten college-age subjects (5 women; 5 men) volunteered to participate in this study. After completing a VO2max test, each subject completed 2 30-minute runs at 70% VO2max on the treadmill, 1 after ingesting caffeine and the other after ingesting a placebo. A caffeine dosage of 7 mg.kg(-1) of body weight was administered. The same dosage of vitamin C was used as a placebo. The order of treatments was randomly assigned, and the trials followed a double-blind format. The physiological data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance (SPSS). Tidal volume (TV), alveolar ventilation (VA), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were significantly different (p < 0.05) between treatment and control groups. The results suggest that the ingestion of caffeine at 7 mg.kg(-1) of body weight prior to submaximal running might provide a modest ergogenic effect via improved respiratory efficiency and a psychological lift.
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