Caffeine and Team ball performances: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Caffeine holds the distinction of being the most widely consumed beverage globally after the water, and it is the most extensively researched supplement in sports field. The investigation into caffeine's impact on athletic performance has gained momentum over recent decades, primarily due to its perceived benefits for human well-being and its proven efficacy in numerous performance fields. Despite the myriad of factors that could potentially prevent consensus, the evidence supporting caffeine's favorable effects continue to mount. Regarding team sports, recent findings has demonstrated beneficial effects of ingesting 3 to 6 mg·kg⁻¹ of caffeine 60 minutes before competition, enhancing many technical and physical aspects of team ball sports with different doses and forms for male and female team ball athletes. Nevertheless, numerous variables could potentially cause divergent results within this field, necessitating careful consideration including the used supplementation strategy, habitual caffeine consumption, gender, washout period, individual response to caffeine, and the form of the supplement (i.e., capsule or powder). This mini-review highlights the recently published evidence on caffeine supplementation in team sports, highlighting the key considerations for its use. It offers readers scientific evidence about the ongoing need for additional investigation in this field.