EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON FEMALE ATHLETES DURING ENDURANCE EXERCISE

Few studies have examined the effect of using caffeine as a supplement for women, and there is a lack of consensus in their findings. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics during endurance exercise post caffeine intake in female athletes. Ten collegiate students who trained routinely volunteered to participate in this experiment. The caffeine dose was 300 mg. The double-blind experiment included 3 conditions, namely, caffeine administration (CAF), placebo (P), and no administration (CONT). Participants engaged in endurance exercise comprising a 60-minute bicycle row using a bicycle ergometer at 65% HRmax. The participants’ pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics, perceived exertion rating, and blood lactic acid were measured. The results were as follows: 1) The oxygen uptake significantly increased in the CAF group after the exercise as compared to that in the CONT group; 2) As compared with the P and CONT groups, after exercise, the energy supply patterns using fat increased significantly, while the dynamics of energy supply using carbohydrates decreased significantly in the CAF group; and, 3) Therefore, for female college students who trained routinely, it was suggested that a dose of 300 mg of absolute caffeine was effective in improving their pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics.