Table 2.
Summary of the studies examining the impacts of acute caffeine supplementation on combat sports performance [44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69].
| Study | Design | Sample Size | Timing | Doses | Form | Measures | Results | Pedro Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aedma et al. [44] | RDBCCrSD | 14 BJJ practitioners | 30 min | 5 mg·kg−1 |
Capsules | 4 ×arm ergometer test (6 × 15 s + 40 s rest) [La], HR, RPF, RPE |
Significant time effect but no treatment ≠ in PP, MP, RPE and RPF. | 10 |
| Arazi et al. [65] | RDBCCrSD | 10 karatekas | 60 min | 2 mg·kg−1 5 mg·kg−1 |
Capsules | leg press Vertical jump (sergeant) RAST (6 × 35 m) RPE, pain perception |
5 mg·kg−1 of caffeine ↓ RPE and pain perception values during muscular endurance test. No ≠ in leg press, vertical jump and RAST performance. |
10 |
| Astley et al. [45] | RDBSD | 18 judo athletes | 60 min | 4 mg·kg−1 | Cgapsules | SJFT HR RPE |
Number of throws ↑ by 31.22% SJFT index ↓ by 22.29% RPE ↓ by 14.63% No changes in HR |
10 |
| Cortez et al. [61] | RDBSD | 13 taekwondo athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 × dollyochagi circular kick pre- and post-3 × 60 s CMJ | Reaction time ↑ by 29% in pretest and by 25% in posttest | 10 |
| Coswig et al. [62] | RDBCCrSD | 10 boxers | 30 min | 6 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | -Simulated boxing matches HR RPE |
Duration of interaction blocks↑by 47.73% Effort: Pause ratio was 4.4 s:8.7 s (approx. 1:2) for placebo and 6.5 s:9.4 s (1:1.44) for caffeine No ≠ in HR and RPE between conditions |
10 |
| Athayde et al. [46] | RDBCrSD | 14 judo athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | CMJ Handgrip strength Judogi grip strength test 3 × 5-min judo matches separated by 15 min of passive rest [La] |
Peak [La] ↑ in the 5th minute after match 3 by 22.14% No effects on CMJ, handgrip strength and the number of attacks. |
10 |
| Athayde et al. [56] | RDBCrSD | 12 judo athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 × 5-min judo matches separated by 15 min of passive rest RPE and RPR |
No effects on match-derived technical variables, RPE and RPR. | 10 |
| Diaz-Lara, Del Coso, García et al. [48] | RDBCrSD | 14 elite BJJ athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | Handgrip strength CMJ Maximal static lift Bench-press |
Hand grip strength ↑ in dominant hand by 4.4%, and non-dominant hand by 4.9%. CMJ height ↑ by 2.7%. Bench press ↑ by 3%. Max number of bench press reps at maximal strength ↑ by 14.7% |
10 |
| Diaz-Lara, Del Coso, Portillo et al. [49] | RDBSD | 14 elite BJJ athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | Handgrip strength Maximum static lift CMJ 2 simulated BJJ combats (with 20 min rest) [La] RPE |
The duration of high-intensity offensive actions ↑ in combat 1 by 58.3% and by 42% in combat 2. The number of successful offensive actions↑ in combat 2 by 28.57%. The number of blocks ↑ by 66.7% in combat 1 and by 28.57% in combat 2. Maximal static lift test ↑ by in pre-fight 2 by 15.8% and after fight 2 by 17.8%. Jump height and Handgrip Strength ↑ as in Diaz-Lara et al. [48]. [La] ↑ by 17.33% (8.8 ± 2.9 vs. 7.5 ± 2.7 mmol/L) in the prefight 2, and just after fight 2 by 11.76% (15.2 ± 3.3 vs. 13.6 ± 4.0 mmol/L). PRE ↑ by 4.84%. |
10 |
| Durkalec-Michalski et al. [50] | RDBCrSD | 22 judo athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 6 mg·kg−1 9 mg·kg−1 |
Capsules | 3 × 4-min judo matches SJFT HR RPE |
The 6 and 9 mg·kg−1 doses ↑the total number of attacks in SJFTs compared to 3 mg·kg−1, PLA or baseline. RPE remains unchanged. 9 mg·kg−1CAF ↑ HRRA and HR1minAF SJFTs as compared to PLA. Total number of throws in randoris were ↑ with 9 mg·kg1 compared to PLA. |
10 |
| Merino Fernández et al. [60] | RDBCrSD | 16 Spanish national Jiu-Jitsu athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 CMJ with both legs, 3 CMJ with the right leg and 3 CMJ with the left leg |
Caffeine ↑bilateral jump height (Δ% = 4.40), flight time (Δ% = 2.20), flight time: contraction time (Δ% = 8.90), concentric impulse (Δ% = 1.80), peak power (Δ% = 2.50). Caffeine ↑left leg flight time (Δ% = 1.91), left leg jump height (Δ% = 3.75) and right leg flight time: contraction time (Δ% = 9.72). |
10 |
| Merino Fernández et al. [57] | RDBSD | 22 jiu-jitsu athletes |
60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 | Capsule | SJFT Simulated combat HR |
Number of throws during the SJFT ↑ by 5%. SJFT index ↓ by 5.8%. HR during SJFT ↑ by 4%. No ≠ for offensive and defensive technical actions. |
10 |
| Krawczyk et al. [59] | RDBCrSD | 10 judo athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 6 mg·kg−1 |
Capsules | bench press with 50% of 1RM bench pull with 50% of 1RM CMJ Handgrip strength Dynamic and isometric versions of the Judogi Grip Strength Test |
Both 3 and 6 mg·kg−1 of caffeine: ↑ Peak bar velocity in the bench press by 5.2%. ↑Mean bar velocity in the bench pull by ~ 9% and 12%. ↑Number of repetitions in the Judogi Grip Strength Test by 15%. No ≠ in the CMJ and handgrip strength. |
10 |
| Pereira et al. [55] | RDBCrSD | 13 judo athletes | 60 min | 6 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | SJFT HR |
No ≠ in number of throws, SJFT index and HR. | 10 |
| San Juan et al. [64] | RDBCCrSD | 8 boxer athletes | 60 min | 6 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | Handgrip strength CMJ 30-s Wingate test [La] |
Caffeine ↑ peak power by 6.27%, ↓ The time to reach peak power by −9.91% in the Wingate test, ↑ jump height by 5.1%. Enhance neuromuscular efficiency at peak power in the vastus lateralis and gluteus maximus. |
10 |
| Santos et al. [67] | RDBCrSD | 10 taekwondo athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 2 × (5 × bandaltchagui kick) + 2 simulated taekwondo matches). [La]; HR; RPE |
caffeine ↑ the reaction time by 11.9% prior to the first combat. ↑ number of attacks in combat 2 by 37.39%. ↑ referee time-outs in combat 2 by 60%. ↑ [La] after round 2 by 31.65% and by 35.48% in the first combat. RPE and HR were unaffected. |
10 |
| Lopes-Silva et al. [53] | RDBCrSD | 10 judo and jiu-jitsu athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 4 set of judogi dynamic strength-endurance test Handgrip strength [La]; HR; RPE |
Caffeine ↑ the number of repetitions by 7% and ↑ maximal isometric handgrip strength by 5%. [La]; HR and RPE values were unaffected. |
10 |
| Lopes-Silva et al. [52] | RDBCCrSD | 6 judo athletes | 60 min | 6 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 × SJFT [La] RPE |
No significant ≠ in the number of throws. [La] was systemically higher and RPE ↓ by 14.6% with caffeine. |
10 |
| Lopes-Silva et al. [66] | RDBCrSD | 10 taekwondo athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 rounds of 2 min [La] HR RPE |
No ≠ in any of the variables examined. | 10 |
| Carmo et al. [47] | RDBCrSD | 8 judo athletes | 60 min and 120 min (post-traning) |
5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | SJFT CMJ [La], HR RPE, Pain perception |
At 120 min: [La] ↑ by 63.63%. No ≠ in number of throws and SJFT index No ≠ for HR, CMJ, perceived pain and RPE. |
9 |
| Filip-Stachnik et al. [51] | RDBCrSD | 9 judo athletes | 15 min | 5.4 mg·kg−1 2.7 mg·kg−1 |
Caffeinated chewing gums | 2 × SJFT separated by 4 min of combat RPE HR [La] |
No ≠ in number of throws, SJFT index, [La], HR and RPE. | 10 |
| Felippe et al. [58] | RDBCSD | 10 judo athletes | 60 min | 0.3 g·kg−1 of NaHCO3 6 mg·kg−1 of caffeine NaHCO3+ caffeine |
Capsules | 3 × SJFT RPE [La] |
Caffeine+ NaHCO3: ↑ Number of throws in SJFT1 by 5.17%, in SJFT3 by 8.44% and total number of throws by 5.66%. Caffeine ↑ [La] in all experimental conditions compared with placebo. No significant ≠ in RPE |
10 |
| de Azevedo et al. [69] | RDBCCrSD | 11 MMA athletes | 60 min | 5 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | 3 sets of repeated punching (15 s + 45 s rest) RPE |
No ≠ in the number of throws and RPE. | 10 |
| Rezaei et al. [63] | RDBCrSD | 8 karatekas | 50 min | 5 mg·kg−1 NaHCO3 |
Capsules | Karate aerobic specific test (KAST) [La]; RPE; HR |
Caffeine ↓ time to exhaustion by 5.97%. HR, RPE and [La] were unaffected. |
10 |
| Negaresh et al. [54] | RDBSD | 11 freestyle wrestlers | 45 min before 1st match ~30 min before the following matches |
Selective dose 10 mg·kg−1 4 mg·kg−1 Repeated-dose (5 × 2 mg·kg−1) |
Capsules | Pittsburgh Wrestling Performance Test (PWPT) 5 wrestling matches (2 × 3-min wrestling rounds) HR [La] RPF |
In comparison to the Placebo: (10 mg·kg−1 of caffeine ↓ PWPT time only before the 1st match. The repeated dose and the selective dose reduced PWPT time in the 3rd and 4th matches. RPF was less before the 4th match with the repeated and selective dose [La] was higher with the selective dose after the 4thand 5th matches. |
10 |
| Ouergui et al. [68] | RDBCCrSD | 20 taekwondo athletes | 60 min | 3 mg·kg−1 | Capsules | TSAT FSKT-10s FSKT-mult RPE |
↓ TSAT time by ~3.3% ↑ FSKT-10s by 4% No significant ≠ in FSKT-mult and RPE |
10 |
↓: Decrease; ↑: Increase; ≠: No difference; SJFT: Special Judo Fitness Test; HR: Heart Rate; RPE: Rating of Perceived Exertion; [La]: Lactate concentration; RPF: Ratings of perceived fatigue, BJJ: Brazilian jiu-jitsu; PP: Peak Power; MP: Mean Power; TSAT: Taekwondo Specific Agility Test; FSKT-10s: 10 s Frequency Speed of Kick Test; FSKT-mult: Multiple Frequency Speed of Kick Test; RAST: Repeated anaerobic Sprint Test; T: Time; CMJ: Countermovement jump; NaHCO3: Sodium Bicarbonate; 1RM: One-Repetition Maximum; RDBCCrSD: Randomized Double Blind counterbalanced Crossover Study Design; RDBCSD: Randomized Double Blind counterbalanced Study design; RDBCrSD: Randomized Double Blind Crossover Study Design; RDBSD: Randomized Double Blind Study Design.