Effects of caffeine on session ratings of perceived exertion

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2013-03, Vol.113 (3), p.721-727
• Main Authors: Killen, L. G., Green, J. M., O’Neal, E. K., McIntosh, J. R., Hornsby, J., Coates, T. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesics; Athletic Performance - physiology; Athletic Performance - psychology; Bicycling - physiology; Bicycling - psychology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Caffeine; Caffeine - administration & dosage; Exercise - physiology; Exercise - psychology; Exercise intensity; Exercise Test; Female; Human performance; Human Physiology; Humans; Legs; Male; Nervous system; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Perception - drug effects; Physical Endurance - drug effects; Physical Endurance - physiology; Physical Exertion - drug effects; Physical fitness; Placebos; Ratings & rankings; Research Design; Single-Blind Method; Sports Medicine; Time Factors; Variance analysis; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-012-2480-z

This study examined effects of caffeine on session ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) following 30 min constant-load cycling. Individuals ( n  = 15) of varying aerobic fitness completed a max trial and two 30 min cycling bouts (double-blind, counterbalanced) following ingestion of 6 mL/kg of caffeine or matched placebo. RPE overall, legs and breathing were estimated every 5 min and session RPE was estimated 30 min post-exercise using the OMNI pictorial scale. Session RPE for caffeine and placebo trails were compared using paired t test. Between-trial comparisons of HR, RPE overall, RPE legs and RPE breathing were analyzed using an independent 2 (trial) × 6 (time point) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each dependent variable. Caffeine resulted in a significantly lower session RPE ( p