Coffee Increases Physical and Cognitive Performance Both in Men and Women

March 11, 2026 updated by: Dr Ozcan Esen, Northumbria University

Habitual Caffeine Intake Affects the Ergogenicity of Dosing Regimens on Muscular Endurance But Not on Sprint and Cognitive Performance in Men and Women

The impact of caffeine habituation on acute responses to different doses of caffeinated coffee has received minimal attention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of coffee on physical and cognitive performance in men and women with different levels of daily caffeine consumption. Sixty-nine (35 women) athletes participated in this study, attending 4 experimental visits in a double-blind, randomized, crossover fashion: decaffeinated coffee (PLA), 1.5 mg·kg-1 (LCOF), 3 mg·kg-1 (MCOF) and 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine (HCOF) from coffee ingestion. Sixty min after coffee consumption, participants performed squat and bench press exercises (1 repetition maximum, 1RM), 60% of 1RM muscular endurance (ME), maximal sprinting, and cognitive performance (CP) was assessed. Participants were allocated into low (LGROUP), moderate (MGROUP), and high (HGROUP) caffeine consumption groups.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
69

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Ankara University's Department of Sports Science

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy individuals
  • Physically active individuals
  • Non-smokers
  • Age between 18 and 30 years
  • Free from respiratory insufficiency
  • Free from cardiovascular disease
  • Free from neuromuscular disorders
  • Free from musculoskeletal injury within the previous 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed cardiovascular disease
  • Neuromuscular disease
  • Current limb injury
  • History of limb injury requiring treatment within the previous 6 months
  • Chronic respiratory disease or treatment for chronic respiratory conditions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Low dose caffeine supplementation
consuming 0.12 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee + 0.04 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 1.5 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake 60-min before the experimental trial.
Dietary supplement: Low Dose Caffeine (LCOF)
Caffeinated versions of instant coffee were prepared in 600 ml hot water (approximately 65°C) and served in a mug. Participants ingested 0.12 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee + 0.04 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 1.5 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake in LCOF 60-min before the experimental trial.
Experimental: Moderate dose caffeine supplementation
Consuming 0.08 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee + 0.08 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 3 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake 60-min before the experimental trial.
Dietary supplement: Moderate Dose Caffeine (MCOF)
Caffeinated versions of instant coffee were prepared in 600 ml hot water (approximately 65°C) and served in a mug. Participants ingested 0.08 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee + 0.08 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 3 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake in MCOF 60-min before the experimental trial.
Experimental: High dose caffeine supplementation
Consuming 0.16 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake 60-min before the experimental trial.
Dietary supplement: High Dose Caffeine (HCOF)
Caffeinated versions of instant coffee were prepared in 600 ml hot water (approximately 65°C) and served in a mug. Participants ingested 0.16 g·kg-1 of caffeinated coffee to achieve 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine intake in HCOF 60-min before the experimental trial.
Experimental: Placebo
Consuming 0.16 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee 60-min before the experimental trial.
Dietary supplement: Placebo (PLA)
Decaffeinated versions of instant coffee were prepared in 600 ml hot water (approximately 65°C) and served in a mug. Participants ingested 0.16 g·kg-1 of decaffeinated coffee in PLA 60-min before the experimental trial.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Upper- and Lower-boy muscular endurance
Time Frame: 60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)
Muscular endurance assessed during bench press and squat exercises using 60% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Performance expressed as total weight lifted (kg).
60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)
Upper- and lower-body strenght
Time Frame: 60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)
Maximal dynamic strength assessed using one-repetition maximum (1RM) tests in the squat and bench press exercises (kg).
60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sprint Performance
Time Frame: 60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)
Peak power output and mean power output measured during a 15-second Wingate anaerobic test on a cycle ergometer (W/kg).
60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion (during each experimental trial)
Cognitive performance
Time Frame: Baseline (before caffeine ingestion) and 60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion.
Reaction time (ms) and accuracy measured using a modified arrow flanker task.
Baseline (before caffeine ingestion) and 60 minutes after caffeine or placebo ingestion.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Northumbria University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 4, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 20, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 20, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • İ3-149-20

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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