Caffeine for rugby players - what does it actually improve? 🏉
Physical or sport-specific benefits?
Acute caffeine supplementation in rugby players: a systematic review and meta-analysis of physical performance, sport-specific performance, perceptual responses, and physiological markers
Study Details
This new systematic review and meta-analysis compiled data from 15 studies (208 rugby players) to establish the effects of caffeine on…
💪 Physical performance
🏉 Sport specific performance
👀 Perceptual responses
🩸 Physiological markers
Here is what they found ⬇️
Key Findings
☕ Caffeine doses ranged from 1–6 mg/kg, with 3 mg/kg most frequent
⚡ Acute caffeine supplementation produced a small improvement in sprint performance
😮💨 Caffeine produced a small reduction in perceived exertion during or immediately after rugby-specific and resistance-exercise protocols
🎯 A large improvement was reported for passing accuracy in standardised tests
There were no significant effects found for…
❌ Jumping performance
❌ Strength-related performance
❌ Metabolic markers
❌ Hormonal markers
🔍 Rugby code, caffeine dose, supplement form and competitive level did not clearly modify the effects of caffeine
💤 Observational evidence linked match-day caffeine exposure with later bedtimes, longer sleep latency and shorter sleep duration
Conclusion
Caffeine can significantly improve select aspects of rugby performance ✅
Aim for 3 mg/kg and adjust according to individual response and tolerance 🎯
Capsules or drinks can generally be trialled 45–60 minutes before activity, while caffeine gum may be useful closer to warm-up ⏱️
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42490897/
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