The Effects of Caffeine on Repeated Sprint Performance in Team Sport Athletes – A Meta-Analysis –

Equivocal findings exist regarding the ergogenic effects of caffeine in repeat sprint performance in team sports, and there is currently no meta-analysis of available data. Therefore, appropriate studies were obtained from electronic databases following identification using pre-determined search criteria. Extracted data on repeat sprint performance in team sport athletes were entered into a meta-analysis to determine a summary statistic for overall effect. Eight studies provided suitable data for analysis. Pooled data on sprint distances of 15m (Z=1.81, P=0.07), 18.3m (Z=0.26, P=0.79), 20m (Z=0.13, P=0.90), 30m (Z=1.26, P=0.21), and 36.6m (Z=0.78, P=0.44) indicated no ergogenic effect attributable to caffeine ingestion. Thus, the current available evidence does not support an ergogenic effect for caffeine in repeat sprint performance in team athletes.