Caffeine and Resistance Training in Older Adults

Effects of Acute and Prolonged Caffeine Intake on Neuromuscular Adaptations to Resistance Training in Older Adults

Introduction: Several studies have evaluated and confirmed the ergogenic effect of acute caffeine intake on sports performance, specifically on strength and power performance. However, little is known about the prolonged effects of this supplement on neuromuscular adaptations to strength training.

Objectives: The present study aims to analyze the effects of acute and chronic caffeine intake on neuromuscular adaptations to strength training, according to sex (men vs. women) and type of exercise (bench press vs. squat), as well as fatigue perception, mood state, and potential side effects in older adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Caffeine and Resistance Training
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Caffeine + Resistance exercise; Dietary supplement: Placebo + Resistance exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 28805
    • Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Alcalá

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between ≥ 55
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m².
• Physically active subjects (>150 min/week of moderate exercise).
• Healthy men and women without neurological, cardiometabolic, immunological, or physical conditions that prevent them from performing physical exercise.
• Participants capable of performing the tests.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of neuromuscular, cardiac, or diseases that could affect liver or muscle metabolism.
• Use of drugs or other stimulants that interfere with caffeine intake and intestinal absorption during the tests and study.
• Having undergone prolonged periods of forced physical inactivity during the 6 months prior to the study.
• Performing strenuous exercise within 48 hours prior to the tests.
• Failing to replicate the same food intake on the two experimental days.
• Consuming caffeine after 6 PM on the day prior to training or testing.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Caffeine - Males	Dietary supplement: Caffeine + Resistance exercise; Acute caffeine intake (3 mg/kg) prior each resistance training session of a 8 weeks training program.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo - Males	Dietary supplement: Placebo + Resistance exercise; Acute placeb intake (3 mg/kg of maltodextrin) prior each resistance training session of a 8 weeks training program.
Experimental: Caffeine - Females	Dietary supplement: Caffeine + Resistance exercise; Acute caffeine intake (3 mg/kg) prior each resistance training session of a 8 weeks training program.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo - Females	Dietary supplement: Placebo + Resistance exercise; Acute placeb intake (3 mg/kg of maltodextrin) prior each resistance training session of a 8 weeks training program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean velocity at different %1RM	Measuring bar mean velocity desplacement during bench press and back squat exercises.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Peak velocity at different %1RM	Measuring bar peak velocity and time to reach peak velocity of bar desplacement during bench press and back squat exercises.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Mean power output at different %1RM	Measuring during bench press and back squat exercises.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Peak power output and time to reach peak power output at different %1RM	Measuring during bench press and back squat exercises.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Number of repetitions performed at 65%1RM until task failure	In bench press and back squat exercises	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Bar velocity deplacement performed in 1 set at 65%1RM until task failure	In bench press and back squat exercises	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Power output generated in 1 set at 65%1RM until task failure	In bench press and back squat exercise	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Maximal Fat Oxidation Rate (MFO)	g/min (MFO) using a metabolic chart.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)	Kcal at rest (RMR) using a metabolic chart.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical activity (METs-min/wk)	Using IPAQ	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Dietary (g/kg of macronutrients)	Using a 24-total recall	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Mood state	Mood. Participants graded a set of 29 items related to the mood on a Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) in reply to the question;How do you feel at this moment?; to assess six scales: tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue and confusion.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Adverse effects	Adverse effects. perception of power, endurance, energy and exertion, as well as heart, muscular and gastrointestinal discomfort.	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Fat mass	Using electrical bioimpedance and untrasound in the quadriceps muscle	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks
Fat-free mass	Using electrical bioimpedance and untrasound in the quadriceps muscle	Through study completion, an average of 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Alberto Pérez-López
• Collaborators: University of Alcala

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 14, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 9, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 1, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Heterocyclic Compounds; Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds, Fused-Ring; Alkaloids; Purinones; Purines; Xanthines; Caffeine
• Other Study ID Numbers: CEIP/2022/3/055

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No