AUTHOR=Yildirim Ulas Can , Akcay Neslihan , Alexe Dan Iulian , Esen Ozcan , Gulu Mehmet , Cîrtiţă-Buzoianu Cristina , Cinarli Fahri Safa , Cojocaru Marilena , Sari Cengizhan , Alexe Cristina Ioana , Karayigit Raci 

TITLE=Acute effect of different doses of caffeinated chewing gum on exercise performance in caffeine-habituated male soccer players

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1251740

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2023.1251740

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=The ergogenic benefits of caffeine have been well established, but there is scarce research with its chewing gum form. The aim of the present research was to examine the effects of various doses (100 and 200 mg) of caffeinated chewing gum on muscle strength, vertical jump performance and ball kicking speed in trained male soccer players. In a double-blind, randomized counterbalanced and crossover research design, 14 male soccer players (age = 22 ± 2 y; body mass = 74.2 ± 7.1 kg; height = 180.0 ± 6.8 cm; habitual caffeine intake = 358.9 ± 292.4 mg/day) participated three experimental trials. In each trial, participants performed isometric handgrip strength, quadriceps and hamstring strength, ball kicking speed and 15 s countermovement jump test 10 min after chewing of 100 mg (LCAF) or 200 mg (MCAF) of caffeinated gum or placebo (PLA). MCAF improved quadriceps strength (53.77 ± 5.77 kg) compared to LCAF (49.62 ± 8.81 kg, p = 0.048) and PLA (49.20 ± 7.20 kg, p = 0.032). However, either LCAF or MCAF had no significant effect on isometric handgrip and hamstring strength, ball kicking speed and 15 s countermovement jump test (all p > 0.05). These findings support chewing gum as an alternative mode of caffeine administration which can be used as a nutritional ergogenic aid for trained soccer players, at least for the quadriceps strength.