Effects of caffeine on time trial performance in sedentary men

It is not known if ergogenic effects of caffeine ingestion in athletic groups occur in the sedentary. To investigate this, we used a counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover design to examine the effects of caffeine ingestion (6 mg · kg⁻¹ body-mass) on exercise performance, substrate utilisation and perceived exertion during 30 minutes of self-paced stationary cycling in sedentary men. Participants performed two trials, one week apart, after ingestion of either caffeine or placebo one hour before exercise. Participants were instructed to cycle as quickly as they could during each trial. External work (J · kg⁻¹) after caffeine ingestion was greater than after placebo (P = 0.001, effect size ES = 0.3). Further, heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure during exercise were greater after caffeine ingestion (P = 0.031, ES = 0.4; P = 0.009, ES = 0.3 and P = 0.018, ES = 0.3; respectively), whereas ratings of perceived exertion and respiratory exchange ratio values did not differ between trials (P = 0.877, ES = 0.1; P = 0.760, ES = 0.1; respectively). The ability to do more exercise after caffeine ingestion, without an accompanying increase in effort sensation, could motivate sedentary men to participate in exercise more often and so reduce adverse effects of inactivity on health.