Beyond Ergogenic Effects: Limited Evidence on Caffeine-Related Problematic Use, Dependence, and Withdrawal in Athletic Populations-A Structured Narrative Review
Study Details
This new review searched the literature on caffeine dependence, problematic use, withdrawal and misuse in athletic populations, but found only 4 directly relevant studies 🔍
📚 The evidence included one cross-sectional study, two controlled withdrawal experiments and one historical analysis of caffeine misuse in competitive cyclists
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
🧠 In 300 university sport students, higher caffeine-use-disorder questionnaire scores were associated with greater anxiety and slower Stroop reaction time
⚠️ However, this was cross-sectional and questionnaire-based, so it cannot establish caffeine use disorder or causality
🚴 In 12 well-trained cyclists and triathletes, 4 days of caffeine withdrawal caused symptoms in 11 participants
🤕 Headache was reported by 9/12, fatigue by 8/12 and reduced focus or motivation by 5/12
☕ Acute caffeine still improved cycling performance by ~3.0% after withdrawal and ~3.6% without withdrawal
↔️ This suggests caffeine’s ergogenic effect is not simply reversal of withdrawal
🚴 A second experiment in 6 habitual high-caffeine users (~761 mg/day) found all participants experienced withdrawal symptoms lasting 2–4 days
😣 Symptoms included severe headache, fatigue, lethargy and flu-like feelings
📈 Caffeine improved endurance regardless of whether athletes had undergone 0, 2 or 4 days of withdrawal
Conclusion
The review could not estimate how common caffeine dependence or use disorder is in athletes, because athlete-specific diagnostic data are essentially absent 🚫
High caffeine intake alone should not be considered dependence; more meaningful warning signs include difficulty reducing intake, withdrawal-driven use, continued use despite harm and functional impairment ☝️
Sleep disruption may be particularly relevant in athletes because late caffeine use could impair recovery and encourage further caffeine use the following day 😴
For athletes, caffeine remains a well-supported ergogenic aid, but practitioners should monitor not just dose and timing, but also sleep, anxiety, withdrawal symptoms and whether athletes feel unable to reduce intake despite negative consequences ✅
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42738943/
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