Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28853006›Full record

ArticleSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2018

Are the Current Guidelines on Caffeine Use in Sport Optimal for Everyone? Inter-individual Variation in Caffeine Ergogenicity, and a Move Towards Personalised Sports Nutrition.

Craig Pickering, John Kiely

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 113 papers, 17 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
113citing papers in PubMed, 17 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

113 citing papers in PubMed, 17 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Effects of acute Capsaicin analogue intake on athletic performance: a three-level meta-analysis.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Pooled it
  12. Pooled it
  13. Pooled it
  14. Pooled it
  15. Pooled it
  16. Pooled it
  17. Effects of caffeine intake on muscle strength and power: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2018
    Pooled it
  18. Effects of Caffeine andNutrients · 2026
    Trial
  19. Trial
  20. Trial

53 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Craig PickeringInstitute of Coaching and Performance, School of Sport and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK. craig@dnafit.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7056-4966
John KielyInstitute of Coaching and Performance, School of Sport and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Caffeine use is widespread in sport, with a strong evidence base demonstrating its ergogenic effect. Based on existing research, current guidelines recommend ingestion of 3-9 mg/kg approximately 60 min prior to exercise. However, the magnitude of performance enhancement following caffeine ingestion differs substantially between individuals, with the spectrum of responses ranging between highly ergogenic to ergolytic. These extensive inter-individual response distinctions are mediated by variation in individual genotype, environmental factors, and the legacy of prior experiences partially mediated via epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we briefly review the drivers of this inter-individual variation in caffeine response, focusing on the impact of common polymorphisms within two genes, CYP1A2 and ADORA2A. Contemporary evidence suggests current standardised guidelines are optimal for only a sub-set of the athlete population. Clearer understanding of the factors underpinning inter-individual variation potentially facilitates a more nuanced, and individually and context-specific customisation of caffeine ingestion guidelines, specific to an individual's biology, history, and competitive situation. Finally, we identify current knowledge deficits in this area, along with future associated research questions.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceAthletesCaffeineCentral Nervous System StimulantsExerciseFemaleHumansMaleMuscle, SkeletalPhysical EnduranceSportsCaffeineCentral Nervous System Stimulants

Identifiers

PMID28853006
PMCPMC5752738

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.