Introduction
Caffeine and its related products are widely consumed in society. Caffeine is present in a variety of solid and liquid forms; coffee, tea and chocolate (Armsey et al, 2006). The popularity of caffeine can be attributed to both its stimulating properties and its role as an ergogenic aid (Olsen et al 2017).
Caffeine is taken up by the body in a variety of steps and has a range of physiological effects. Caffeine is metabolised by the liver, and rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. The blood concentration of caffeine peaks 15-45 minutes after ingestion, however its metabolic effects often last for over an hour (O’ Roberts 2016). It is lipophobic, …show more content…
Most studies investigate the effects of caffeine in a pure form of the drug, so there are distinct differences in physiological effects when compared to caffeine consumption in the form of coffee. (Wickham et al 2018; Hodgson et al 2013).
There has also been some investigation into whether caffeine best improves aerobic performance when it is consumed acutely or habitually. Caffeine consumption is related to an increase in plasma epinephrine and reduces respiratory rate (Hultman et al 1995), which has a positive influence on aerobic exercise.
There is a large range of test subjects that have been conducted to show the correlation between caffeine consumption and maximal aerobic exercise (Guest et al, 2018; Potgieter et al, 2018). These experiments show the positive relationship between maximal aerobic performance and highly trained endurance athletes. Having said this, there is little data to support the idea that caffeine has a positive correlation with sub-maximal aerobic activity. Toner (2007) and Bangsbo (1992) reflect that caffeine consumption prior to participating in submaximal aerobic exercise has no significant impact on enhancing …show more content…
A study was conducted to determine the metabolic and performance effects of caffeine in different forms during endurance exercise (Hodgson et al 2013). In the single-blind experiment, eight trained male cyclists completed thirty minutes of steady state cycling at a submaximal level (55% of VO2 max), immediately followed by forty five minutes of high energy time trials. Prior to participating in activity, the test subjects were randomly given 5mg of caffeine in a pure form, caffeine in the form of coffee, and a control group consumed a decaffeinated sample. The results from the experiment indicate that the caffeine group had a faster performance time when compared to the other test groups, and the coffee group performed at a higher level than the decaffeinated group. Therefore, these experimental results suggest that consuming caffeine in a purer form enhances its ergogenic properties and have a greater impact on improving aerobic performance. An article written about the administration of caffeine in alternate forms (Wickham et al 2018) suggests that caffeinated chewing gums are taken up fastest compared to all other forms of caffeine, as it is absorbed through buccal mucosa rather than through the gut. The caffeinated chewing gum also had the greatest improvement on endurance cycling, further supporting the notion that coffee as a method of