Caffeine with a high carbohydrate meal before simulated soccer exercise
What it found
In eight recreational soccer players, caffeine taken with a high carbohydrate meal made the exercise feel easier but did not clearly improve running distance.
Blood sugar and fat burning stayed about the same in both groups.
What they found
Studies in people
Exercise felt easier
Players rated the effort as lower when they took caffeine. Their average rating was 11.7 compared to 12.8 with the placebo.
Running distance after exercise
After the simulated match, players ran 109 m further on the endurance test with caffeine, which is a 12.8% increase. However, this difference was not statistically significant, possibly because only seven players finished the test.
Blood sugar and fat burning
The rates at which the body burned carbohydrates and fats were about the same whether players took caffeine or the placebo. Blood levels of glucose, fatty acids, glycerol and another fat byproduct also showed no differences between the two days.
Lactate levels rose
Blood lactate levels were higher when players took caffeine compared to the placebo day. Scientists do not yet know exactly why caffeine causes this rise during controlled exercise.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that taking caffeine with a high carbohydrate meal may make soccer-like exercise feel easier and could somewhat improve endurance capacity afterward.
- They note that these effects were not linked to changes in how the body burned fuel during the activity.
- They advise caution when interpreting their findings because the small number of participants limited the statistical power of the trial.
How it was done
Many athletes take caffeine before matches to boost performance, often alongside carbohydrate foods. The authors wanted to see if adding caffeine to a typical pre-match meal changed how the body used fuel or affected endurance during simulated soccer play.
Eight male recreational soccer players completed an 85-minute treadmill session mimicking a soccer match on two separate days, seven days apart. Before each session they ate a high carbohydrate meal and took either caffeine at 5 mg per kg of body weight or a placebo 45 minutes before exercising. After the session they ran an endurance test to exhaustion.
What it can’t tell you
- With only eight people recruited and seven completing the final test, the study may have been too small to detect a real difference in running distance.
- This trial tested a specific dose of caffeine alongside a large carbohydrate meal, so the results might differ if caffeine is taken alone or with other foods.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Massey University, New Zealand
The paper
- Title
- Addition of Caffeine to a Carbohydrate Feeding Strategy Prior to Intermittent Exercise
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Hulton AT, Vitzel K, Doran DA, MacLaren DPM (2020). Addition of Caffeine to a Carbohydrate Feeding Strategy Prior to Intermittent Exercise. International journal of sports medicine. doi:10.1055/a-1121-7817Free full textPubMed 32252101DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error