Effect of Chronic Caffeine Use on Performance in Division I Baseball Players During the Fall Collegiate Season

Caffeine is commonly used as an ergogenic aid and has been shown to acutely improve athletic performance. However, research exploring the effects of chronic caffeine use on performance is limited, especially in Division I (DI) collegiate baseball players. The purpose of this observational study was to explore the patterns of caffeine use among collegiate baseball players during their fall season and analyze how chronic caffeine use affected specific measures of sporting performance. A caffeine-focused food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed at the end of the season and indicated caffeine use over the final four weeks of the fall season. Weekly performance data was obtained from baseball staff. Results of the caffeine FFQ indicated that there were 3 "low" and 3 "high" caffeine users among pitchers (n = 6). Pitchers who were "high" caffeine users throughout the season trended toward better performance on average than "low" caffeine users, although it was not significant (p = 0.100). These findings show there is potential for chronic caffeine use to positively impact pitching performance among collegiate baseball players. Further research should explore this relationship in controlled supplemental intervention studies to confirm the current findings and determine the true impact of chronic caffeine use among collegiate baseball players on sporting performance.