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Effects of different doses of caffeine on exercise responses in young children

Kenneth R Turley1, Justin R Bland, William J Evans

  • 1Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Harding University, Searcy, AR 72149, USA. KRTurley@Harding.edu

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|April 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Caffeine intake in children increased blood pressure and decreased heart rate before exercise, with no significant impact on metabolism during exercise. Moderate doses did not affect substrate utilization.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Exercise Physiology
  • Nutritional Biochemistry
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Caffeine is a widely consumed stimulant with known physiological effects.
  • Research on caffeine's impact on young children's exercise responses is limited.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for assessing safety and performance implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dose-dependent effects of caffeine on physiological responses during exercise in children.
  • To determine if caffeine influences heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolic responses in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Forty healthy children participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
  • Children received placebo (PL) or caffeine doses of 1, 3, or 5 mg.kg(-1) (CAF-1, CAF-3, CAF-5).
  • Physiological measures including heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and blood pressure (BP) were recorded during rest and graded cycle ergometer exercise.

Main Results:

  • Caffeine administration (especially CAF-5) led to significantly higher pre-exercise systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to placebo.
  • Heart rate was significantly lower at rest and during exercise with CAF-3 and CAF-5 compared to placebo.
  • No significant effects of caffeine were observed on oxygen consumption or respiratory exchange ratio, except for a lower RER in CAF-1 versus CAF-5 during high-intensity exercise.

Conclusions:

  • Caffeine intake at doses of 1-5 mg.kg(-1) did not alter substrate utilization during exercise in children.
  • Caffeine increased pre-exercise blood pressure and decreased heart rate.
  • A slight decrease in heart rate during exercise was observed with moderate caffeine doses (CAF-3, CAF-5).
Abstract

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