Acute Caffeine Ingestion Improves Sport-Specific and Cognitive Performance in Elite Badminton Athletes

Liang Feng^1,2Weiping Du^1,2Xiaoting Wang³Hui Cao⁴Zhe Ji⁵Fang Li⁶Jianming Cao^7*Zhihui Zhou^7*

• ¹School of Physical Education, Ningxia Normal University, Guyuan, China
• ²Center for Sports and Health Research, Ningxia Normal University, Guyuan, China
• ³School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
• ⁴North China Electric Power University Department of Physical Education, Beijing, China
• ⁵School of Physical Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
• ⁶School of Physical Education, He'nan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
• ⁷Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China

Background: Caffeine, a widely used central nervous system stimulant, has been extensively studied for its potential to enhance exercise performance. However, systematic evaluations of its effects on badminton-specific performance remain limited, particularly in the domains of cognitive function and technical skills. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of caffeine ingestion on cognitive, physical, and technical performance in elite badminton players. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design was employed. Fifteen elite male badminton players holding a national first-class athlete certificate participated. Each ingested either caffeine (5 mg/kg body mass) or a placebo, followed by a 45-minute absorption period and a 50-minute standardized fatigue protocol. Participants then completed badminton-specific performance tests, including the Anticipation Skills Test (AST), Smash Accuracy Test (SAT), Shuttle Run Agility Test (SRAT), and Repeated Sprint Test (RST). A 7-day washout period was applied between conditions. Results: Significant treatment × time interaction effects were observed for anticipation accuracy (F=4.992, p=0.029), reaction time (F=4.084, p=0.048), and visual search frequency (F=8.514, p=0.005), indicating improved post-fatigue performance in the caffeine condition, whereas the placebo condition declined or remained unchanged. In terms of physical performance, the caffeine group demonstrated superior overall agility in the SRAT (F=4.097, p=0.048) and showed an anti-fatigue effect in the RST (F=5.283, p=0.025). However, caffeine ingestion did not significantly affect smash accuracy (p=0.942) or ratings of perceived exertion (RPE; p=0.917). Conclusion: Acute ingestion of 5 mg/kg caffeine significantly enhanced cognitive and physical performance under fatigue in elite badminton players, while exerting no apparent effect on fine technical skills.