Date of Award:

12-2011

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Kinesiology and Health Science

Department name when degree awarded

Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Committee Chair(s)

Dale R. Wagner

Committee

Dale R. Wagner

Committee

Edward M. Heath

Committee

Korry J. Hintze

Committee

Gerald A. Smith

Abstract

Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, have been designed to refuel athletes during and after their performance. Specifically they are designed to have optimal levels of carbohydrates to replenish electrolytes and prevent dehydration. In contrast, energy drinks are reported to increase mental alertness and physical performance during exercise. These drinks are designed to have substantial levels of caffeine as the main ingredient. For some years, energy drinks have become widespread both in recreational and trained athletes, because of their presumed influence on physical performance. A variety of energy drinks are currently on the market today and are purported to increase the energy level of the individuals consuming them.

The effect of caffeine on endurance performance is well known. However, comparatively less research has been conducted on its ability to improve anaerobic performance such as in sprinting. Some studies showing no effect of caffeine on performance used non-athletic people and study designs often not conducive to observing any physical improvement. However, recent studies incorporating trained athletes and specifically aimed at discontinuous sports activity (football, hockey, rugby) support the notion that caffeine can improve anaerobic exercise to an extent.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of a commercially available caffeine-containing energy drink on repeated sprint performance and anaerobic power in college football players. Twenty well-trained Utah State University football players participated in the study in which they received the energy drink (AdvoCare Spark®) or a placebo without caffeine.

The Running Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), consisting of six 35-m sprints with 10 seconds of rest between each sprint, was used to assess anaerobic power. Sprint times and analysis of anaerobic power were used to understand the effects of acute ingestion of the energy drink. Sprint times increased from 5.11 seconds for the first sprint to 6.90 seconds for the sixth sprint on the placebo with almost exactly the same change for the energy drink (5.10 seconds to 6.90 seconds). In short, the energy drink did not improve sprint speed or change the rate of fatigue with repeated sprints. Through the analysis, a better understanding was gained of how caffeinated energy drinks impact physical performance in trained athletes.

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This work made publicly available electronically on November 21, 2011.

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