Soccer pass performance following caffeine intake with deliberate or maintenance practice

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Performance
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Caffeine's impact on strength and endurance is known, but its effect on skill-based performance, like football passing, is debated.
• Understanding caffeine's role in practice could benefit sports professionals seeking performance enhancements.
• This study investigated caffeine's influence on deliberate practice (DP) and maintenance practice (MP) in adolescent football players.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effect of 3 mg·kg⁻¹ caffeinated coffee on passing performance in adolescent football players undergoing DP or MP.
• To compare the effects of DP and MP on passing accuracy, with and without caffeine.
• To assess athlete perceptions of DP and MP and whether caffeine influences these perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Fourteen adolescent male football players participated in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study.
• Participants completed four sessions involving caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee combined with DP or MP.
• Passing proficiency was evaluated using the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test, One-Touch Passing Test, and Long Passing Test.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in passing accuracy (LSPT, OTPT, LPT) were found between caffeine (CAF) and placebo (PLA) conditions after DP or MP.
• Both DP and MP improved short-term passing, but only MP significantly enhanced long-term passing (LPT score increase of 21.9%).
• Caffeine did not alter athletes' perceptions of the practice sessions, with DP perceived as more mentally challenging than MP.

Conclusions:

• 3 mg·kg⁻¹ of caffeinated coffee showed no additional benefits for passing performance during DP or MP in adolescent footballers.
• Both DP and MP enhance short-term passing, while MP is more effective for long-term passing improvement in average-skilled players.
• Coaches can integrate these practices into training; caffeine does not appear to influence perceptions of practice, especially under low physical demand.