This Supplement Enhances Sprint Performance

Caffeine is commonly used by athletes to enhance their performance in sports. It has been found in the urine of over 70% of athletes tested in national and world competitions.

The international sports governing body, World Athletics, recognizes caffeine as an ergogenic aid to enhance sprint running performance. However, there is no direct evidence supporting this claim for sprint running in athletics. Previous studies have investigated the effect of caffeine on running. But their designs have limitations.

This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of caffeine on 100-meter sprint running performance in a field test. The researchers hypothesized that caffeine would enhance sprint running performance by increasing the running velocity for the first 60 meters. The study aimed to determine the phase that is influenced by caffeine supplementation, by investigating whether an improvement in 100-meter sprint performance could be attributed to an improvement in sprint performance in the first 60 meters.

STUDY: Acute Effect of Caffeine Supplementation on 100-m Sprint Running Performance: A Field Test

Study Design

The study investigated the effects of caffeine supplementation on sprint running performance. The study involved 15 male collegiate sprinters who had been training for at least 3 years and could complete all-out 100-meter sprints.

The study had a double-blind, counterbalanced, randomized, and crossover design. This means that participants were randomly assigned to receive either caffeine or a placebo in a random order. And they were not aware of which one they received.

They completed field tests of 100-meter sprint running time trials after ingesting either caffeine or a placebo. Participants were excluded if they had certain health conditions, allergies, or had smoked within the past year.

The participants visited the laboratory three times. The first time was for a preliminary experiment to measure the change in plasma caffeine concentration over time after caffeine ingestion. The second and third times were for time trials after either caffeine or a placebo.

In the preliminary experiment, participants ingested 6 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight in capsule form. And their plasma caffeine concentration over time was measured. This information was used to determine the timing of caffeine supplementation for the time trials, so that the peak plasma caffeine concentration would be reached at the start of the time trials.

Study Results

The study found that while there was no significant difference in 100-meter sprint times before correction, after correction, the 100-meter sprint time was significantly shorter with caffeine supplementation. Similarly, the 60-meter sprint time was significantly reduced with caffeine supplementation. There was no significant difference between caffeine and placebo for the 40-meter sprint time from 60 to 100 meters.

Additionally, the study found that caffeine supplementation enhanced mean sprint velocity for the 0-10 meter and 10-20 meter splits. There were no significant differences in maximum velocity, distance to maximum velocity, mean step length, or mean step frequency.

This study showed that acute caffeine supplementation improves the 100-meter sprint performance of athletes. It is the first study to directly determine the effect of caffeine on the 100-meter sprint performance in athletics.

The study showed that caffeine improved the sprint performance up to 60 meters and enhanced the sprint velocity in the first 20 meters of the 100-meter sprint. The study also suggests that the effect of caffeine on muscle activation, specifically the rate of force development, is a possible mechanism for the improvement.

The study concludes that caffeine supplementation can be expected to shorten the reaction time in a 100-meter sprint race, which can further enhance sprint performance. However, caffeine supplementation has possible side effects such as anxiety or nervousness. And further investigations about its ergogenicity on the start of a sprint and the possibility of a false start are needed.

Thrivous Surge

Thrivous develops Surge Acute Nootropic to enhance energy and focus. Each serving provides a clinical dose of caffeine. Consequently, as indicated by this study, Surge may enhance sprint performance.

Thrivous Surge also provides complementary nutrients. Among those nnutrients, l-theanine is a nootropic that promotes relaxation without sedation. When coupled with caffeine, l-theanine can take the edge off caffeine, decreasing jittery or anxious side effects.

Thrivous Surge is available to purchase online in the Thrivous store.