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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Nov 21;14(22):4921.
doi: 10.3390/nu14224921.

High Doses of Caffeine Increase Muscle Strength and Calcium Release in the Plasma of Recreationally Trained Men

Luis H B Ferreira  1 , Scott C Forbes  2 , Marcelo P Barros  3 , André C Smolarek  1 , Alysson Enes  1 , Antonio H Lancha-Junior  4 , Gabriel L Martins  4 , Tacito P Souza-Junior  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

High Doses of Caffeine Increase Muscle Strength and Calcium Release in the Plasma of Recreationally Trained Men

Luis H B Ferreira et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The effects of acute caffeine supplementation on muscular strength remain unclear. We examined the effects of two different doses of caffeine on muscle strength and calcium in plasma compared to placebo using a crossover, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Twenty-one (n = 21) recreationally resistance-trained participants were randomly assigned into three experimental conditions: 6 mg·kg bw−1 of caffeine (CF6); 8 mg·kg bw−1 of caffeine (CF8); or placebo (PLA), with a 7-day washout period between conditions. Muscular strength assessments were made for both upper (bench press) and lower body muscles (squat and deadlift). Calcium release in plasma was measured on five different occasions. Bench press (CF8: 100.1 ± 1.9 kg; PLA: 94.2 ± 2.5 kg), deadlift (CF8: 132.8 ± 3.5 kg; PLA: 120.7 ± 5.7 kg), and squat (CF8: 130.1 ± 4.9 kg; PLA 119.4 ± 5.4 kg) strength were all significantly (p < 0.001) improved in CF8 compared to PLA. Calcium release in plasma was significantly increased in CF8, whereas no changes were observed in CF6 or PLA. Overall, 8 mg·kg bw−1 of caffeine appears to be an effective dose to optimize upper and lower body muscular strength and calcium release in recreationally trained participants.

Keywords: athletic performance; ergogenic; one repetition maximum; sarcoplasmic reticulum; xanthine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study Design.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of 1-RM on Bench Press, Deadlift and Squats. Figure 1. (A) Effect of different doses of caffeine during the bench press strength analysis; (B) Effect of different doses of caffeine during the deadlift strength analysis; (C) Effect of different doses of caffeine during the squat strength analysis. * = significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to placebo.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Calcium release 45 min after supplementation. * = significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to placebo and CF6; # = significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to pre-supplementation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Calcium behavior after supplementation. Figure 2. (A) Calcium behavior from pre-supplementation with placebo until the last strength bout analyzed; (B) Calcium behavior from pre-supplementation with lower doses of caffeine until the last strength bout analyzed; (C) Calcium behavior from pre-supplementation with higher doses of caffeine until the last strength bout analyzed. * = significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to pre-supplementation; # = significant difference (p < 0.05) between Bout 2 vs. pre-supplementation.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Possible mechanism of action of caffeine in increasing muscle strength at high doses. Figure 5. (A) Representation of the neuromuscular stimulus on the release of ionic calcium in muscle fibers and its impact on the increase in the power of contraction triggered by actin and myosin filaments in a “basal” condition (or on the placebo condition); (B) Representation of the more pronounced neuromuscular stimulus after the administration of high doses of caffeine, providing a more pronounced increase in the release of calcium ions and, probably, increasing the power of contraction of muscle fibers and muscle strength.
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