Sodium phosphate and sprint speed in female team-sport players
What it found
Sodium phosphate loading helped 12 female team-sport players run repeated sprints faster.
The effect was seen when taken alone or combined with caffeine.
What they found
Studies in people
Faster total sprint times
Total sprint times were faster when players took sodium phosphate compared with the dummy pill. This was seen in the first and third sets of sprints.
Best single sprint times
Players also recorded faster best sprint times after taking sodium phosphate compared with the dummy pill across all sets.
Combined with caffeine
Taking sodium phosphate together with caffeine led to faster total and best sprint times compared with the dummy pill. It was also faster than caffeine alone in the final set.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that sodium phosphate loading improved the ability to perform repeated sprints.
- They also found that combining sodium phosphate with caffeine gave further improvements.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see how sodium phosphate and caffeine affect the ability to do repeated short sprints.
Twelve female team-sport players took part in four trials, each about 21 days apart. They received sodium phosphate, caffeine, both together, or a dummy pill. After each round they played a simulated game with short sprints before, during and after play.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only looked at 12 female team-sport players doing short sprints. It cannot show what happens in other people or during different types of exercise.
- The study measured sprint performance over a few weeks. It does not tell us about longer-term effects on the body.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- a The University of Western Australia, Australia; b Edge Hill University, UK
The paper
- Title
- Effects of sodium phosphate and caffeine loading on repeated-sprint ability
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Buck C, Guelfi K, Dawson B, McNaughton L, Wallman K (2015). Effects of sodium phosphate and caffeine loading on repeated-sprint ability. Journal of sports sciences. doi:10.1080/02640414.2015.1025235PubMed 25827059DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error