ArticleBiology of sport2021
The prevalence and practices of caffeine use as an ergogenic aid in English professional soccer.
Article in Biology of sport, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparative effects of caffeine and paraxanthine on rowing performance and sleep quality: a randomized crossover study.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026Trial
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- The Acute Effects of Caffeine Supplementation on Anaerobic Performance and Functional Strength in Female Soccer Players.Nutrients · 2025Trial
- The Effect of Acute Caffeine Ingestion on Tactical Performance of Professional Soccer Players.Nutrients · 2022Trial
- The Dose-Effects of Caffeine on Lower Body Maximal Strength, Muscular Endurance, and Rating of Perceived Exertion in Strength-Trained Females.Nutrients · 2021Trial
- Prevalence, implementation, and barriers of sodium bicarbonate supplementation in team sports.Biology of sport · 2026Article
- Characterising and Comparing the Sleep Characteristics and Behaviours of Female and Male Soccer Players: A Cross-Sectional Survey of an Elite Soccer Club.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Caffeine Effects on Physical Performance and Sport-Specific Skills in Elite Youth Soccer Players: A Randomised Trial Using the Balanced Placebo Design.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Varying doses of evening caffeine ingestion have different effects on rowing ergometer performance, sleep quality, and wakefulness scores.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Acute effects of combined and isolated caffeine and theanine supplementation on physical and cognitive performance in competitive athletes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Moderate-dose caffeine enhances anaerobic performance without altering hydration status.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Nitric Oxide in the Field: Prevalence and Use of Nitrates by Dietitians and Nutritionists in Spanish Elite Soccer.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Effect of 3 and 6 mg/kg of caffeine on fat oxidation during exercise in healthy active females.Biology of sport · 2023Article
- Gender Differences in the Frequency of Positive and Negative Effects after Acute Caffeine Consumption.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Acute effect of different doses of caffeinated chewing gum on exercise performance in caffeine-habituated male soccer players.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Review
- The effect of caffeine, nap opportunity and their combination on biomarkers of muscle damage and antioxidant defence during repeated sprint exercise.Biology of sport · 2022Article
- Acute effects of beetroot juice and caffeine co-ingestion during a team-sport-specific intermittent exercise test in semi-professional soccer players: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The ergogenic properties of caffeine are well established, with evidence supporting beneficial effects for physical and technical elements of performance required for successful soccer match play. Despite this, recommended caffeine practices for professional soccer have not been established. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the use and behaviours surrounding caffeine use in elite English soccer clubs. Representatives of 36 clubs from the top four tiers of English professional football (40%) completed an online survey that sought to determine if, when, how and why caffeine was prescribed to players as a means of improving sports performance. Of the clubs sampled, 97% indicated that caffeine is provided to players as a means of improving performance. Caffeine is most commonly administered prior to (> 94%) and during a game (> 48%), with frequency uninfluenced by time of matches. There was a broad range and lack of consistency in the timing, dose and mode of caffeine administration, but doses were typically low. Evidence from the present study indicate a translational gap between science and practice, highlighting a need for future work to better understand how caffeine consumption can be optimised with respect to the specific demands and constraints in professional soccer.
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Registered trials
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.