THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A CAFFEINE-CONTAINING SUPPLEMENT ON BENCH PRESS STRENGTH AND TIME TO RUNNING EXHAUSTION

TRAVIS W. BECK, TERRY J. HOUSH, MOH H. MALEK, MICHELLE MIELKE,

AND

RUSSELL HENDRIX

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Human Performance Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska

ABSTRACT
Beck, TW, Housh, TJ, Malek, MH, Mielke, M, and Hendrix, R. The acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement on bench press strength and time to running exhaustion. J Strength Cond Res 22(5): 16541658, 2008The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement (SUPP) on one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press strength and time to running exhaustion (TRE) at a velocity that _ 2peak). corresponded to 85% of the peak oxygen uptake (VO The study used a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Thirty-one men (mean 6 SD age = 23.0 6 2.6 years) were randomly assigned to take either the SUPP or placebo (PLAC) rst. The SUPP contained 201 mg of caffeine, and the PLAC was microcrystalline cellulose. All subjects were tested for 1-RM bench press strength and TRE at 45 minutes after taking either the SUPP or PLAC. After 1 week of rest, the subjects returned to the laboratory and ingested the opposite substance (SUPP or PLAC) from what was taken during the previous visit. The 1-RM bench press and TRE tests were then performed in the same manner as before. The results indicated that the SUPP had no effect on 1-RM bench press strength or _ 2peak. It is possible that the acute effects of TRE at 85% VO caffeine are affected by differences in training status and/or the relative intensity of the exercise task. Future studies should examine these issues, in addition to testing the acute effects of various caffeine doses on performance during maximal strength, power, and aerobic activities. These ndings do not, however, support the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid in untrained to moderately trained individuals.

INTRODUCTION

KEY WORDS caffeine, strength, endurance

Address correspondence to Travis W. Beck, tbeck@unlserve.unl.edu. 22(5)/16541658 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2008 National Strength and Conditioning Association

affeine has become a popular ergogenic aid among recreational and competitive athletes. The proposed benets of caffeine include increased secretion of catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) (11), greater use of fats as an energy source and sparing of muscle glycogen (6), and increased motor unit recruitment and ring rates (13). Most studies, however, have tested caffeines effects on measures of endurance (e.g., time to exhaustion at xed power outputs or speeds during cycling or running tasks) (6,9,10,14,17,18) or anaerobic performance (e.g., peak power and mean power output during Wingate anaerobic tests, swimming velocity during 100-m swimming sprints, or time required to complete a 2000-m rowing trial) (2,4,5). Generally speaking, these investigations have reported that caffeine improved performance during endurance-based activities (6,10), but the results during anaerobic activities have been less consistent (2,5). For example, we recently found that a 201-mg dose of caffeine taken 45 minutes before exercise had no effect on peak power or mean power output during two consecutive Wingate anaerobic tests (separated by 7 minutes of rest) in college-aged resistance-trained men (2). Collomp et al. (5), however, report that a slightly larger dose of caffeine (250 mg) ingested 1 hour before exercise resulted in a signicant increase in average swimming velocity for trained swimmers during two 100-m swimming sprints separated by 20 minutes of rest. Although the discrepancies between the results from these studies (2,5) could have been caused by the use of slightly different caffeine doses, it is more likely that they reected differences in the types of activities that were performed (i.e., cycling vs. swimming). Because many recreationally trained athletes perform both resistance- and endurance-based training, they may be interested in a sports supplement that could enhance performance during both types of activities. Similarly, there are several competitive sports that require athletes to demonstrate high levels of muscular strength and power in addition to endurance (e.g., wrestling, boxing, basketball, eld hockey, tennis, etc.). Thus, some competitive athletes may also be interested in a sports supplement that enhances performance during both aerobic and anaerobic activities. The mechanisms by

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which caffeine enhances performance during aerobic activities have been examined in many studies, and most investigations have suggested that caffeines ergogenic effects on endurance are attributable, at least partially, to increased use of fats as an energy source and sparing of muscle glycogen (6,8,16). Very few investigations, however, have examined the mechanism(s) by which caffeine could enhance performance during maximal strength tasks. Kalmar and Cafarelli (13) recently have suggested that caffeines action as an adenosine receptor antagonist could help to enhance motor unit recruitment and/or ring rates, both of which would contribute to increases in force production. However, this hypothesis has only been tested for the leg extensors during a unilateral isometric muscle action (13). Thus, there is very little information regarding caffeines effects on strength, particularly for activities that are commonly performed by both recreational and competitive athletes (e.g., bench presses, power cleans, squats, leg extensions, etc.). Furthermore, previous studies (9,10) have reported acute increases in performance from caffeine doses that result in urinary caffeine concentrations well below the legal limit of 12 mg of caffeine per milliliter of urine, set by the International Olympic Committee. Thus, these ndings (9,10) suggest that, for some activities, caffeine may provide a competitive edge within the established limits set by regulating organizations. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement (SUPP) on one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press strength and time to running exhaustion (TRE) at a velocity that corresponded to 85% of the peak oxygen uptake _ 2peak). (VO

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METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem

This study used a randomized, double-blinded, placebocontrolled, crossover design. During the rst laboratory visit, the subjects performed an incremental test to exhaustion on _ 2peak test, _ 2peak. After the VO a treadmill to determine VO the subjects were allowed to rest for 1 week. After the 1-week rest period, the subjects returned to the laboratory and were randomly assigned to ingest either the SUPP or the placebo (PLAC) rst. Table 1 shows the ingredients for the SUPP. The PLAC (microcrystalline cellulose) was designed by the manufacturer (General Nutrition Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa) such that each dose (two tablets = one dose) had the same volume, taste, and color as the SUPP. After randomization, the subjects ingested one dose of either the SUPP or the PLAC and sat quietly in the laboratory for 45 minutes. The subjects were then tested for 1-RM bench press strength. Approximately 15 minutes after the 1-RM bench press strength test, the subjects were tested for TRE at _ 2peak. After a velocity that corresponded to 85% of their VO the TRE test, the subjects were allowed to rest for 1 week, during which they did not ingest either the SUPP or the PLAC. After the 1-week rest period, the subjects returned to the laboratory and took the opposite substance (SUPP or PLAC) from what they took during the second laboratory visit. The subjects then performed the bench press 1-RM and TRE tests in the same manner as during the previous visit.
Subjects

Thirty-one men (mean 6 SD age = 23.0 6 2.6 years) volunteered to participate in the investigation. Most of the

TABLE 1. The ingredients contained in one dose of the caffeine-containing supplement. Ingredient extract (Ilex paraguariensis) (8% caffeine = 40 mg) Yerba Mate Guarana seed extract (Paullinia cupana) (36% caffeine = 152 mg) Black tea extract (Camellia sinensis) (9% caffeine = 9 mg) Ginger extract (Zingiber ofcinale) (5% gingerols) Schisandra chinensis fruit extract Dill weed extract (Anethum graveolens) Grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera) Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) Niacin Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) Pantothenic acid (as calcium D-pantothenate) Wild blueberry extract (Vaccininium angustifolium) Cinnamon Red pepper extract (capsaicin = 4 mg) Black pepper extract Caffeine-containing supplement: amount per serving (mg) 500.0 422.0 100.0 500.0 100.0 5.0 1.0 120.0 40.0 2.0 10.4 100.0 25.0 10.0 5.0

Total caffeine content for one dose of the caffeine-containing supplement was approximately 201.0 mg. The placebo was microcrystalline cellulose.

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subjects were untrained in both resistance and aerobic exercise, but some reported engaging in no more than 4 hours of recreational activity per week. In addition, the subjects did not report or exhibit (a) a history of medical or surgical events that may signicantly affect the study outcome, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic, renal, hepatic, or musculoskeletal disorders, (b) use of any medication that may signicantly affect the study outcome, (c) use of nutritional supplements (such as creatine, protein drinks, amino acids, and vitamins) in the 6 weeks before the start of the study, or (d) participation in another clinical trial or ingestion of another investigational product within 30 days before screening/enrollment. The study was approved by the university institutional review board for human subjects, and all subjects completed a health history questionnaire and signed a written informed consent document before testing.
Determination of Peak Oxygen Uptake

After a 5-minute warm-up at 4.83 kmh21 and 0% grade, the subject began running at a velocity that corresponded to 85% _ 2peak as determined during the of the velocity at VO _ VO2peak test. Each subject was instructed to run until voluntary exhaustion, and strong verbal encouragement was provided. Billat et al. (3) report that during continuous, highintensity treadmill running, there was no signicant mean difference between TRE values from two tests separated by 1 week, and the two measurements were correlated at r = 0.864.
Statistical Analyses

Each subject performed an incremental test to exhaustion on a motorized treadmill (Precor C962i, Woodinville, Wash) for the _ 2peak. All subjects wore a nose clip and determination of VO breathed through a two-way valve (2700; Hans Rudolph, Kansas City, Mo). Expired gas samples were collected and analyzed using a calibrated TrueMax 2400 metabolic cart (Parvo Medics, Sandy, Utah) with O2, CO2, and ventilatory parameters expressed as 20-second averages. The metabolic cart was calibrated before each test. Each subject was tted with a Polar Heart Watch system (Polar Electro Inc., Lake Success, NY) to monitor heart rate throughout the test. After a 5-minute warm-up at 4.83 kmh21 and 0% grade, the test began with the subject walking at 6.44 kmh21 and 0% grade. The velocity was increased 1.61 kmh21 every 2 minutes to 14.49 kmh21. At 14.49 kmh21, the exercise intensity was increased by raising the treadmill grade 2% every 2 minutes until voluntary exhaustion. Peak oxygen uptake was dened as the highest value recorded during the last 30 seconds of the test.
Bench Press One-Repetition Maximum Strength Test

Bench press 1-RM strength and TRE values were compared between the SUPP vs. PLAC using two separate pairedsamples t-tests. An alpha of p # 0.05 was considered statistically signicant for all comparisons. An a priori power analysis indicated that for a repeated-measures design, a sample size of 31 subjects resulted in statistical power values of 0.90 or greater for both of the dependent variables.

RESULTS
The mean 6 SEM bench press 1-RM strength values for the SUPP and PLAC were 77.3 6 3.6 and 76.9 6 3.6 kg, respectively (Figure 1). Figure 1 shows the mean 6 SEM TRE values for the SUPP (856.1 6 63.5 seconds) and PLAC (850.5 6 59.7 seconds). There were no signicant mean differences for the SUPP vs. PLAC for bench press 1-RM strength or TRE values.

DISCUSSION
The results of this investigation show that the 201-mg dose of caffeine in the SUPP had no effect on 1-RM bench press strength. These data are not consistent with those from a recent study from our laboratory (2), as well as with research that has examined the acute effects of caffeine on unilateral isometric leg extension strength (13). For example, in our previous investigation (2), we found that a 201-mg dose of caffeine ingested 45 minutes before exercise resulted in a signicant increase (2.1 kg = 2.1%) in 1-RM bench press strength. Although the present study used the same caffeine dose and bench press 1-RM testing procedures, the subjects in our previous investigation (2) were experienced in weight training (regularly participating in at least four resistance training sessions per week), whereas those in the present study were mostly untrained. Thus, it is possible that the acute effects of caffeine on strength are inuenced by differences in training status. This hypothesis is consistent with the suggestion that caffeine may have a greater ergogenic effect in trained vs. untrained individuals (5,8,9). There are very few data, however, regarding the mechanisms by which caffeine could affect performance during maximal strength/power activities. Kalmar and Cafarelli (13) used the twitch interpolation technique to examine the acute effects of caffeine (6 mgkg21 body weight ingested 1 hour before exercise) on strength and maximal voluntary

The bench press 1-RM strength test was performed on a standard free-weight bench (Body Power, Williamsburg, Va) with an Olympic bar. After receiving a lift-off from a spotter, the subject lowered the bar to his chest, paused briey, and then pressed the bar to full extension of the forearms. The 1-RM was determined by applying progressively heavier loads until the subject could not complete a repetition through the full range of motion (full extension of the forearms). Additional trials were performed with lighter loads until the 1-RM was determined within 2.27 kg, and this was usually achieved within ve trials. Two minutes of rest were allowed between all trials (12). The intraclass correlation coefcient for bench press 1-RM strength for our laboratory is R = 0.99, with no signicant mean difference between test and retest values.
Time to Running Exhaustion Test

_ 2peak test, each subject performed One week after the VO a constant-velocity treadmill run test to determine TRE.

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tetanic tension) (1). It has been suggested, however, that the caffeine doses necessary to have an effect on calcium permeability at the sarcoplasmic reticulum may be toxic to humans (13). Regardless of the exact mechanism, the results from the present study do not provide support for the use of caffeine before measuring 1RM bench press strength. Because there are very few studies that have examined the acute effects of caffeine on muscular strength, more research needs to be done to investigate the inuence of different doses of caffeine on strength during various types of activities. These studies should also use trained and untrained individuals to determine whether the acute effects of caffeine are inuenced by differences in training status. The results from this investigation also show that the Figure 1. The top graph shows the results of the bench press one-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength test for the SUPP had no effect on TRE at supplement (SUPP) and placebo (PLAC). The bottom graph shows the results of the time to running exhaustion _ 2peak. Many studies (TRE) test for the SUPP and PLAC. The values shown in both graphs are means 6 SEM. There were no signicant 85% VO (p . 0.05) mean differences for the SUPP vs. PLAC for bench press 1-RM strength or TRE values. have found that caffeine improves endurance during activities that last 3060 minutes activation of the vastus lateralis during a unilateral isometric (6,11,14,16,17,18). The most common hypothesis used to maximum voluntary contraction of the leg extensors. The explain this phenomenon is that caffeine supplementation authors (13) report that the caffeine resulted in signicant increases the use of fatty acids as an energy substrate, thereby increases in both isometric leg extension strength (approxsparing muscle glycogen (6,8,18). Although there are data to imately 6% increase) and maximal voluntary activation for support this suggestion (6,17), there is also research indicating the vastus lateralis muscle (approximately 3% increase). They that a glycogen sparing effect may not be the only hypothesize (13) that the caffeine may have acted supramechanism responsible for caffeine-induced increases in spinally as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Specically, endurance (11, p. 1837). For example, Greer et al. (11) binding of adenosine to its receptor in the central nervous examined the acute effects of caffeine (6 mgkg21 body weight system (CNS) usually inhibits neurotransmitter release and ingested 90 minutes before exercise) on muscle glycogen decreases neuronal ring rates, both of which can result in content (assessed with muscle biopsies) during a 45-minute _ 2peak. The authors reduced muscle activation and force production (13). cycle ergometer workbout at 6570% VO (11) report that the decreases in muscle glycogen throughout However, binding of caffeine with adenosine receptors in the workbout were similar when the subjects ingested caffeine the CNS may allow for greater motor unit recruitment and/or ring rates (from competitive inhibition of adenovs. a dextrose placebo. However, blood glycerol levels after sine), both of which could increase maximal voluntary ingesting caffeine were signicantly higher at all time points activation and force production (13). An alternative hypothduring the 45-minute workbout when compared with those esis is that caffeine acts peripherally by increasing the after taking the placebo (11). Thus, it was suggested that permeability of the sarcoplasmic reticulum to calcium (1). although caffeine supplementation may promote increased Theoretically, this could result in higher calcium concenuse of fatty acids as an energy substrate during exercise, it may not necessarily decrease the rate of muscle glycogen loss trations in the sarcoplasm during muscle contraction, thereby during exercise (11). increasing the amount of force produced during tetanus (i.e.,
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It is important to note that muscle glycogen stores may not have been the primary factor determining performance during the TRE task in the present study. The mean TRE values for the SUPP and PLAC were 856.1 seconds (14.3 minutes) and 850.5 seconds (14.2 minutes), respectively (Figure 1). Although muscle glycogen and blood lactate were not measured in this investigation, it is possible that TRE at _ 2peak was inuenced more by the accumulation of 85% VO metabolites (e.g., lactate, inorganic phosphate, ammonia) than depletion of energy substrates (e.g., glycogen). This hypothesis is supported by the results from studies that have examined the acute effects of caffeine on performance during exercise tasks that elicit fatigue within 1020 minutes (7,15). For example, Powers et al. (15) report that during an incremental cycle ergometer test (beginning workload of 30 W, with 30-W increases every 3 minutes until exhaustion), caffeine supplementation (5 mgkg21 body weight ingested 1 hour before exercise) had no effect on total exercise time to exhaustion or the rate of blood lactate accumulation. Dodd et al. (7) used a similar exercise protocol (incremental cycle ergometry with a beginning workload of 50 W, with 30-W increases every 2 minutes until exhaustion) and report that two different caffeine doses (3 or 5 mgkg21 body weight) resulted in signicant increases in plasma free fatty acid concentration but had no effect on the lactate threshold or total exercise time to exhaustion. Thus, our ndings for TRE are similar to those of Powers et al. (15) and Dodd et al. (7) and suggest that caffeine may not affect performance during high-intensity activities designed to elicit fatigue within 1020 minutes. Future studies should test this hypothesis with different caffeine doses during both running and cycling activities. In summary, the results from this study show that the 201-mg dose of caffeine in the SUPP had no effect on 1-RM _ 2peak. It is possible bench press strength or TRE at 85% VO that the acute effects of the SUPP were inuenced by differences in training status and/or the relative intensity of the exercise task. Future studies should examine these issues in addition to testing the acute effects of various caffeine doses on performance during maximal strength/power activities and other high-intensity, short-duration activities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was funded by a research grant from General Nutrition Corporation.

REFERENCES
1. Allen, DG and Westerblad, H. The effects of caffeine on intracellular calcium, force and the rate of relaxation of mouse skeletal muscle. J Physiol 487: 331342, 1995. 2. Beck, TW, Housh, TJ, Schmidt, RJ, Johnson, GO, Housh, DJ, Coburn, JW, and Malek, MH. The acute effects of a caffeinecontaining supplement on strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capabilities. J Strength Cond Res 20: 506510, 2006. 3. Billat, V, Renoux, JC, Pinoteau, J, Petit, B, and Koralsztein, JP. _ 2max in subelite Reproducibility of running time to exhaustion at VO runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 26: 254257, 1994. 4. Bruce, CR, Anderson, ME, Fraser, SF, Stepto, NK, Klein, R, Hopkins, WG, and Hawley, JA. Enhancement of 2000-m rowing performance after caffeine ingestion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32: 1958 1963, 2000. faut, C. 5. Collomp, K, Ahmaidi, S, Chatard, JC, Audran, M, and Pre Benets of caffeine ingestion on sprint performance in trained and untrained swimmers. Eur J Appl Physiol 64: 377380, 1992. 6. Costill, DL, Dalsky, GP, and Fink, WJ. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance. Med Sci Sports 10: 155 158, 1978. 7. Dodd, SL, Brooks, E, Powers, SK, and Tulley, R. The effects of ve versus caffeine on graded exercise performance in caffeine na habituated subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 62: 424429, 1991. 8. Graham, TE. Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance. Sports Med 31: 786807, 2001. 9. Graham, TE, and Spriet, LL. Performance and metabolic responses to a high caffeine dose during prolonged exercise. J Appl Physiol 71: 22922298, 1991. 10. Graham, TE and Spriet, LL. Metabolic, catecholamine, and exercise performance responses to various doses of caffeine. J Appl Physiol 78: 867874, 1995. 11. Greer, F, Friars, D, and Graham, TE. Comparison of caffeine and theophylline ingestion: exercise metabolism and endurance. J Appl Physiol 89: 18371844, 2000. 12. Harman, E, Garhammer, J, and Pandorf, C. Administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected tests. In: Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd ed. T.R. Baechle and R.W. Earle, eds. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2000. pp. 287317. 13. Kalmar, JM and Cafarelli, E. Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular function. J Appl Physiol 87: 801808, 1999. 14. Pasman, WJ, Van Baak, MA, Jeukendrup, AE, and De Haan, A. The effect of different dosages of caffeine on endurance performance time. Int J Sports Med 16: 225230, 1995. 15. Powers, SK, Byrd, RJ, Tulley, R, and Callender, T. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and performance during graded exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 50: 301307, 1983. 16. Spriet, LL, Maclean, DA, Dyck, DJ, Hultman, E, Cederblad, G, and Graham, TE. Caffeine ingestion and muscle metabolism during prolonged exercise in humans. Am J Physiol 262: E891E898, 1992. 17. Trice, I and Haymes, EM. Effects of caffeine ingestion on exerciseinduced changes during high-intensity, intermittent exercise. Int J Sport Nutr 5: 3744, 1995. 18. Van Soeren, MH and Graham, TE. Effect of caffeine on metabolism, exercise endurance, and catecholamine responses after withdrawal. J Appl Physiol 85: 14931501, 1998.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The results from this study indicate that ingestion of a caffeine-containing supplement had no effect on upperbody strength or endurance running performance in untrained to moderately trained men. Thus, these ndings do not support the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid for these individuals. The results from previous studies suggest that the acute effects of caffeine on upper-body strength (2) and sprint swimming performance (5) may be greater for trained vs. untrained individuals. Thus, future studies should examine the inuence of differences in training status on the acute effects of caffeine, in addition to testing various dosages during different types of activities.

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