Acute caffeine ingestion improves 3-km run performance, cognitive function, and psychological state of young recreational runners.

Abstract

The current study aimed to assess the effects of caffeine administration on performance time, cognition, psychomotor state, and blood levels of oxidative stress markers following a 3-km run competition. Thirteen recreational runners performed two test sessions in a double-blind randomized order after placebo or 3 mg/kg of body mass of caffeine. At each session, subjects completed a 3-km running competition around a 400 m outdoor athletics track. Cognitive tasks (attention and reaction time), psychological tests (Feeling scale and Hooper), and blood collection were carried out before and after the run. In comparison with placebo, caffeine ingestion enhanced the 3-km performance time by 1.1% (p < 0.001) (10.13 ± 0.69 min versus 10.25 ± 0.72 min), improved attention by 15.6% (p < 0.001) and reaction-time by 5.9% (p < 0.05), increased good-feeling by 15.7% (p < 0.01), and lowered stress-feeling by 17.6% (p < 0.01) and pain-sensation by 11.3% (p < 0.05). However, no significant effects of caffeine were observed on oxidative stress markers. Only exercise resulted in increased levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) (12.2%, 8.8%) (p < 0.05), reduced glutathione (GSH) (17.6%, 10.1%) (p < 0.05), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (7.6%, 6.5%) (p < 0.05) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (10.3%, 9.6%) (p < 0.05), for both the placebo and caffeine groups respectively. In conclusion, our study highlighted that the consumption of 3 mg/kg caffeine could be an improving agent for the physical, cognitive, and psychological states without affecting the oxidative stress state during such a running competition.

• Authors: Amir Khcharem, Makram Souissi, Rim Atheymen, Wajdi Souissi, Zouheir Sahnoun
• Journal: Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior (Pharmacol Biochem Behav) Vol. 207 Pg. 173219 (08 2021) ISSN: 1873-5177 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34139220 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Central Nervous System Stimulants
• Caffeine
• Malondialdehyde
• Glutathione Peroxidase
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Glutathione

Topics

• Attention (drug effects)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Caffeine (administration & dosage)
• Central Nervous System Stimulants (administration & dosage)
• Cognition (drug effects)
• Double-Blind Method
• Exercise
• Glutathione (blood, metabolism)
• Glutathione Peroxidase (metabolism)
• Humans
• Male
• Malondialdehyde (blood)
• Oxidative Stress
• Physical Functional Performance
• Psychomotor Performance (drug effects)
• Reaction Time (drug effects)
• Running
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)
• Young Adult