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Caffeine effects on velocity selection and physiological responses during RPE production
James M Green1,2, Alyssa Olenick2, Caroline Eastep2
1a Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL 35632, USA.
Summary
Caffeine (CAF) ingestion mildly increased treadmill speed during exercise at prescribed exertion levels. However, individual responses varied, with some runners showing significant performance improvements, suggesting personalized caffeine use for intensity regulation.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Nutrition
- Human Performance
Background:
- Caffeine is known to reduce perceived exertion, but its impact on maintaining specific exertion levels during exercise is not fully understood.
- Understanding how caffeine affects the ability to produce a target rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is crucial for optimizing training and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on the ability to produce specific ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during treadmill running.
- To determine if caffeine influences exercise intensity (velocity) when participants aim for a consistent RPE.
Main Methods:
- Recreational runners (n=16) completed treadmill trials at prescribed RPE 4 and RPE 7 after ingesting either caffeine (6 mg·kg⁻¹) or a placebo.
- Participants adjusted treadmill velocity to maintain the target RPE for 10 minutes, blinded to the actual velocity.
- Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze differences in velocity, heart rate, and oxygen consumption between caffeine and placebo conditions.
Main Results:
- Caffeine ingestion led to a statistically significant increase in treadmill velocity at RPE 7 (p=0.03) and a trend towards faster speeds at RPE 4 (p=0.07).
- While mean heart rate and oxygen consumption were higher with caffeine, these differences did not reach statistical significance.
- Approximately 31% of trials showed a 'positive response' to caffeine, characterized by a significant increase in velocity, heart rate, and oxygen consumption.
Conclusions:
- Caffeine demonstrates a mild ergogenic effect on exercise intensity production at prescribed RPE levels, with notable individual variability.
- Positive responders exhibited enhanced physiological responses, suggesting potential benefits for performance.
- Athletes and coaches should consider individual responses to caffeine to effectively regulate exercise intensity and optimize training outcomes.
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