Abstract
Purpose
The effect of caffeine on anaerobic performance is unclear and may differ depending on an individual’s genetics. The goal of this study was to determine whether caffeine influences anaerobic performance in a 30 s Wingate test, and if 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nine genes, associated with caffeine metabolism or response, modify caffeine’s effects.
Methods
Competitive male athletes (N = 100; 25 ± 4 years) completed the Wingate under three conditions: 0, 2, or 4 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass (mg kg−1), using a double-blinded, placebo-controlled design. Using saliva samples, participants were genotyped for the 14 SNPs. The outcomes were peak power (Watts [W]), average power (Watts [W]), and fatigue index (%).
Results
There was no main effect of caffeine on Wingate outcomes. One significant caffeine–gene interaction was observed for CYP1A2 (rs762551, p = 0.004) on average power. However, post hoc analysis showed no difference in caffeine’s effects within CYP1A2 genotypes for average power performance. No significant caffeine–gene interactions were observed for the remaining SNPs on peak power, average power and fatigue index.
Conclusion
Caffeine had no effect on anaerobic performance and variations in several genes did not modify any effects of caffeine.
Trial registration
This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02109783).
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Availability of data and material
This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov on April 10, 2014 (NCT02109783). The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available.
Code availability
Data was analyzed using the R (version 3.3.3) and RStudio (version 1.1.463) statistical packages.
Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- ADRβ2:
-
β2 Adrenergic
- COMT:
-
Catechol-O-methyltransferase
- CNS:
-
Central nervous system
- CYP1A2:
-
Cytochrome P450 1A2
- VO2peak :
-
Maximal aerobic capacity
- rpm:
-
Revolutions per minute
- SNPs:
-
Single nucleotide polymorphisms
- VSM:
-
Vascular smooth muscle
- W:
-
Watts
- WAnT:
-
Wingate anaerobic test
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Funding
Funding support for this study was provided by the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, Canadian Institute for Health Research, Coca-Cola company, Mitacs and Nutrigenomix Inc.
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MS wrote the first draft and contributed to the literature search, conducted the statistical analyses, and managed all aspects of manuscript preparation and submission. NG collected all of the initial data and NG and AE-S contributed to the design of the study, data screening and extraction, and contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript. NG and AE-S secured funding. PT contributed to data analyses and editing of the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript.
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AE-S is the Founder and holds shares in Nutrigenomix Inc. NG is on the Science Advisory Board of Nutrigenomix Inc. MS and PT declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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This trial was approved by the University of Toronto Institutional Review Board.
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Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participants were aware of the potential benefits and risks of the trial prior to signing consent forms and participating in the study.
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Communicated by Kirsty Elliott sale.
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Sicova, M., Guest, N.S., Tyrrell, P.N. et al. Caffeine, genetic variation and anaerobic performance in male athletes: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 3499–3513 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04799-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04799-x