Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Applied Sciences

Abstract

Carbohydrate availability and caffeine ingestion have been shown to elicit improvements in performance independently of one another. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of a carbohydrate + caffeine beverage on performance and perceived effort in soccer players. Forty-three collegiate women’s soccer athletes were recruited to participate during a single day of simulated match play, in which each team played once. Athletes consumed either a carbohydrate + caffeine (Experimental) beverage or a control (Control) beverage (flavored water) during half-time in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized control trial design. Prior to and after each game, Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and blood glucose levels were assessed. Heart rate, training impulse (TRIMP), total distance covered, high-speed distance, and velocity were recorded. Blood glucose levels after the match simulation were positively associated with total distance (r = 0.434; p = 0.01), distance per minute (r = 0.439; p < 0.01), average velocity (r = 0.438; p = 0.01), and TRIMP (r = 0.404; p = 0.018) during the second half. There was a significant main effect for half regarding blood glucose (p < 0.001), total distance (p < 0.001), high-speed distance (p < 0.001), and TRIMP (p = 0.046). There was a significant half × condition effect for blood glucose (p = 0.05). Pairwise comparisons indicated the Experimental beverage condition resulted in a +27 mg/dL (95% CI: −3.6, 58.8) difference compared to the Control beverage following the 2nd Half. In the current study, consumption of the carbohydrate + caffeine beverage during half-time resulted in higher blood glucose levels post-game compared to placebo; however, the experimental beverage did not influence the total distance covered, average velocities, average heart rate, or TRIMP values during the second half of simulated match play.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Collegiate women's soccer athletes face substantial metabolic demands that can deplete glycogen stores and blood glucose levels, potentially leading to reduced second-half performance and increased physiological strain. 

  • The Method: Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized control trial involving 43 Division III female soccer players who consumed either a 591 mL carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage with 250 mg of caffeine or a flavored water placebo during a 15-minute half-time of a simulated match. 

  • Quantitative Finding: The experimental group had a significant blood glucose increase of +27 text mg/dL (95% CI: -3.6, 58.8) compared to the control group post-match; blood glucose levels were positively associated with total distance (r=0.434), distance per minute (r=0.439), average velocity (r=0.438), and training impulse (r=0.404) during the second half. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Participants in the experimental beverage condition reported higher ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) compared to the control group; despite metabolic changes, the intervention did not produce significant differences in total distance covered, average velocities, average heart rate, or training impulse.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031523

Publication Date

2-2026

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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