Bell, D. G., Jacobs, I., & Ellerington, K. (2001). Effect of caffeine and ephedrine ingestion on anaerobic exercise performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, 1399-1403.

This study investigated the effect of caffeine, ephedrine, and caffeine plus ephedrine ingestion on anaerobic performance. A group of untrained males (N = 16) performed a 30-s Wingate Test. Another group of untrained males (N = 8) performed a supramaximal (125%VO2peak) cycle test to exhaustion to determine maximum accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD). Each S performed multiple trials 1.5 hours after ingesting 5mg/kg caffeine, 1 mg/kg ephedrine, a combination of both caffeine and ephedrine, and placebo.

Ephedrine increased power output early in the performance, but not overall. Caffeine increased time to exhaustion and O2 deficit in the MAOD test. Each experimental treatment increased blood lactate, glucose, and catecholamine levels.

Implication. Performance improvements from caffeine and ephedrine are likely to result from CNS stimulation by ephedrine and skeletal muscle by caffeine.

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