Supervisors info:
Δούκα Αγγελική, μέλος Ε.Ε.Π, τομέας Υγρού Στίβου, ΤΕΦΑΑ-ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Caffeine is a substance found in nature in the form of coffee beans. In addition to the pre-workout supplement, caffeine is also used by people who have a fairly active life. The reason that makes it so important and necessary in the daily life of the average person, is because so many studies have proven its beneficial effect. These studies report effects on various mechanisms of the human body during exercise. So the focus of this study is on these effects and how they, in turn, improve swimmers' performance. The limited literature in the world of swimming may be an obstacle to an extensive review, but there are many studies that have studied its effects on other aerobic and anaerobic sports and trials. Based on these, we will try to briefly document the positive or negative effect of caffeine on swimming. All the results come from the correlation of different studies, in which caffeine was administered, either in anhydrous (pure) form, or in artificially processed form (pill, powder), or in the form of sports drink, in different categories of people. In short, caffeine acts on the human body by increasing muscle contractility, physical performance and endurance as well as the time before exhaustion. In addition, it increases fat loss, saves muscle glycogen and helps reduce exercise stress. Improvements occur mainly in aerobic testing and sports associated with prolonged submaximal intensity. Regarding anaerobic tests, there are a number of contradictions about its performance benefits. Nevertheless, several studies agree that caffeine improves performance at gradually increasing intensities and has the effect of increasing maximum power at very high intensities (75-85%). Of these effects, however, only high-level athletes are favored. On the other hand in swimming, more research has been done on the part of anaerobic performance. In particular, caffeine has been found to increase maximal strength and performance in repetitive sprints, as well as average speed. In endurance swimming, it seems to significantly increase performance, enhancing the athlete's physical endurance and tolerance to fatigue. Finally, caffeine seems to be beneficial for all types of exercise, but many studies are contradictory, as each researcher uses a different exercise protocol each time. Let us not forget, however, that caffeine has entered the world of banned substances, anti-dumping control, which shows that as a substance it is definitely beneficial for performance.
Keywords:
caffeine, coffee, decafeine, ergogenic aids, exhaustion, dietary supplements, endurance, repeat-sprint, intermittent exercise, exercise performance, ergogenic mechanisms
