Warpeha, J., Simpson, W., Birnbaum, L., & Herbst, J. (2004). The effects of caffeine on repeated lower-body Wingate performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 36(5), Supplement abstract 1169.

This study examined the effects of caffeine supplementation on repeated lower-body Wingate performance. College-aged subjects (M = 5; F = 5) performed three 30-second Wingate tests with 30 minutes of rest between tests. This sequence was performed on two separate days with either the caffeine treatment (7 mg/kg) or placebo control (vitamin C) ingested 30 minutes before the first test on each of the two days. The anaerobic indices of peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and fatigue index (FI) were measured during each of the six tests (3 caffeine and 3 placebo) for each subject.

Mean power increased significantly during the third Wingate test under the influence of caffeine. No significance was found among the other eight variables analyzed.

Implication. Caffeine may enhance performance in athletic events requiring multiple supramaximal efforts over a relatively short period.

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