Welcome to my weekly summary of the latest research from the world of sports science!
These three new studies highlight how simple factors—your diet, hydration, and supplementation—can influence athletic performance and recovery. Learn how diet may affect your grip strength, why a wearable hydration sensor could revolutionize fluid tracking, and what fish oil might do for post-workout soreness—read on.
Caffeine Improves Sprint Performance in Runners and Cyclists
This meta-analysis looked at 13 studies to understand whether taking caffeine shortly before sprint sessions improves repeated sprint performance. Researchers found that caffeine increased peak power output, with larger doses producing greater improvements. The benefits appeared in both men and women, and while running sprints also improved, the effect was slightly stronger in cycling tests. Researchers believe this is because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which may help increase neural drive, improve muscle fiber recruitment, and delay the onset of fatigue.
My thoughts: Caffeine and performance research usually focuses on endurance sports (and yes, it generally helps—unless you overdo it or exercise in the heat). Its effect on sprint performance seems clear from this study, but how it works is the interesting part. It’s probably a neurological boost that sharpens the signals to your muscles, helping them fire harder for longer before that heavy, tired feeling sets in.
Caffeine Increases Power Output for Weightlifting
This review of 12 studies looked at whether caffeine helps improve muscular power during resistance training. The findings showed that taking caffeine before training increased movement velocity and power output across a variety of exercises and loading schemes. The improvements were stronger in men, particularly during lower-body lifts, and were most noticeable in people who don’t regularly consume caffeine. Athletes who habitually use less than 3 mg/kg per day saw the biggest benefits, suggesting some tolerance may develop with regular intake. Higher doses of more than 6 mg/kg produced the best performance improvements, but they also carried a higher risk of side effects, making personalized dosing important.
My thoughts: Another win for caffeine. Whether you’re sprinting or lifting, a well-timed dose can help you move faster or push harder. Just be sensible with it—more isn’t always better, and going too high can be counterproductive.
Caffeine vs. the Menstrual Cycle
This study tested whether caffeine improves performance in women—and whether menstrual-cycle phase changes that effect. Twenty-one healthy women consumed either 6 mg/kg caffeine or a placebo, then completed a 5 km all-out cycling time trial twice: once in the late follicular phase and once in the mid-luteal phase, matched to their individual cycles.
Results showed no consistent, clear effect of either caffeine or menstrual-cycle phase on performance outcomes. That said, other studies have shown that caffeine can improve explosive performance, meaning it may benefit power-based or repeated-effort sports more than time trial endurance outcomes.
My thoughts: It’s often thought that athletic performance is heavily influenced by the menstrual-cycle phases—this study is well structured to dispel that myth.
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or my growing list of weekly research summaries where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
– Train hard!
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