Combined Effects of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement and Caffeine Intake on Explosive and Anaerobic Power in Recreationally Active Men

Both post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) and caffeine (CAF) are known to acutely improve physical performance. However, their combined effects on multiple performance outcomes in recreationally active individuals remain underexplored. This study explores the combined effects of PAPE and caffeine CAF supplementation on explosive power, sprint performance, and anaerobic capacity in recreationally active men. In a double-blind, crossover design, 20 participants completed 4 sessions with distinct interventions: placebo (PLA) with usual warm-up (No-PAPE + PLA), PAPE + PLA, CAF without PAPE (No-PAPE + CAF), and PAPE + CAF. After CAF (6 mg CAF/kg body mass) or PLA ingestion, participants performed warm-ups. They underwent physical tests, including vertical jump height (VJH), standing long jump (SLJ), 40-yard dash, and the running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST). Data were analyzed using 1- and 2-way repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests (P < 0.05 considered significant). The PAPE + CAF condition yielded significant improvements in VJH compared with other conditions (P < 0.01), although the 40-yard dash times improved significantly in No-PAPE + CAF, PAPE + PLA, and PAPE + CAF conditions compared with PLA (P < 0.001). VJH also showed significant gains in PAPE + CAF compared with PAPE + PLA and No-PAPE + CAF (P < 0.01). Additionally, PAPE + CAF, PAPE + PLA, and No-PAPE + CAF produced notable increases in RAST metrics, including peak power, average power, minimum power, total time, and anaerobic capacity compared with No-PAPE + PLA (P < 0.001), although fatigue index differences remained nonsignificant. No significant effects were found in SLJ (P > 0.05). These findings highlight a synergistic effect between PAPE and CAF in enhancing short-term explosive performance, offering practical strategies for optimizing high-intensity activities in recreationally active individuals.