Caffeine improves muscular performance in elite Brazilian Jiu-jitsu athletes

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European Journal of Sport Science
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Caffeine improves muscular performance in elite
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu athletes
Francisco Javier Diaz-Lara, Juan Del Coso, Jose Manuel García, Luis J. Portillo,
Francisco Areces & Javier Abián-Vicén
To cite this article: Francisco Javier Diaz-Lara, Juan Del Coso, Jose Manuel García, Luis J.
Portillo, Francisco Areces & Javier Abián-Vicén (2016) Caffeine improves muscular performance
in elite Brazilian Jiu-jitsu athletes, European Journal of Sport Science, 16:8, 1079-1086, DOI:
10.1080/17461391.2016.1143036
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Caffeine improves muscular performance in elite Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
athletes
FRANCISCO JAVIER DIAZ-LARA1, JUAN DEL COSO2, JOSE MANUEL GARCÍA1, LUIS
J. PORTILLO1, FRANCISCO ARECES2, & JAVIER ABIÁN-VICÉN3
1Faculty of Sport Sciences, Sport Training Laboratory, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain; 2Exercise Physiology
Laboratory, Sport Science Institute, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain & 3Faculty of Sport Sciences, Performance
and Sport Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
Abstract
Scientific information about the effects of caffeine intake on combat sport performance is scarce and controversial. The aim of
this study was to investigate the effectiveness of caffeine to improve Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ)-specific muscular performance.
Fourteen male and elite BJJ athletes (29.2 ± 3.3 years; 71.3 ± 9.1 kg) participated in a randomized double-blind, placebo-
controlled and crossover experiment. In two different sessions, BJJ athletes ingested 3 mg kg−1 of caffeine or a placebo.
After 60 min, they performed a handgrip maximal force test, a countermovement jump, a maximal static lift test and
bench-press tests consisting of one-repetition maximum, power-load, and repetitions to failure. In comparison to the
placebo, the ingestion of the caffeine increased: hand grip force in both hands (50.9 ± 2.9 vs. 53.3 ± 3.1 kg; respectively p
< .05), countermovement jump height (40.6 ± 2.6 vs. 41.7 ± 3.1 cm; p= .02), and time recorded in the maximal static lift
test (54.4 ± 13.4 vs. 59.2 ± 11.9 s; p< .01).The caffeine also increased the one-repetition maximum (90.5 ± 7.7 vs. 93.3 ±
7.5 kg; p = .02), maximal power obtained during the power-load test (750.5 ± 154.7 vs. 826.9 ± 163.7W; p< .01) and
mean power during the bench-press exercise test to failure (280.2 ± 52.5 vs. 312.2 ± 78.3W; p= .04). In conclusion, the
pre-exercise ingestion of 3 mg kg−1 of caffeine increased dynamic and isometric muscular force, power, and endurance
strength in elite BJJ athletes. Thus, caffeine might be an effective ergogenic aid to improve physical performance in BJJ.
Keywords: Testing; strength; fatigue
Introduction
Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is one of the most
consumed substances worldwide despite the fact that
it has no nutritional value and is not essential for any
biological function. As in society in general, caffeine
is also one of the most used drugs in sport (Del
Coso, Munoz, & Munoz-Guerra, 2011). Although
caffeine has been found effective to improve endur-
ance exercise in a myriad of investigations (Ganio,
Klau, Casa, Armstrong, & Maresh, 2009), its ergo-
genic effect on the different manifestations of muscu-
lar force is controversial. Some investigations do not
support the use of caffeine (2–6 mg kg−1) as an ergo-
genic aid in maximal dynamic contractions (Astor-
ino, Rohmann, & Firth, 2008; Eckerson et al.,
2013). However other researchers with similar
doses of caffeine have found that this substance sig-
nificantly increased short-duration maximal
dynamic force (Bazzucchi, Felici, Montini, Figura,
& Sacchetti, 2011; Del Coso, Salinero, Gonzalez-
Millan, Abian-Vicen, & Perez-Gonzalez, 2012; Gold-
stein, Jacobs, Whitehurst, Penhollow, & Antonio,
2010; Pallares et al., 2013). Furthermore, the scienti-
fic information about the effects of caffeine to
enhance muscular endurance is also disputed (Astor-
ino et al., 2008; Duncan, Stanley, Parkhouse, Cook,
& Smith, 2013; Eckerson et al., 2013; Forbes,
Candow, Little, Magnus, & Chilibeck, 2007). The
use of different caffeine doses, performance tests,
and variations in the training status of the individuals
under investigation have made it difficult to conclude
whether caffeine can be considered as an ergogenic
© 2016 European College of Sport Science
Correspondence: Javier Abián-Vicén, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Performance and Sport Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of Castilla-La
Mancha, Avda. Carlos III s/n, Toledo 45071, Spain. E-mail: javier.abian@uclm.es
European Journal of Sport Science, 2016
Vol. 16, No. 8, 1079–1086, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2016.1143036
mailto:javier.abian@uclm.es
http://www.tandfonline.com
substance for sports based on force, power, and mus-
cular endurance.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ), judo, and wrestling are the
most popular grappling sports and they share similar
physical and physiological characteristics. Briefly,
they are characterized by intermittent efforts in
which maximal isometric and dynamic muscle con-
tractions are interspersed with short periods of rest,
and/or lower-intensity efforts (Franchini, Artioli, &
Brito, 2013; Garcia-Pallares, Lopez-Gullon, Muriel,
Diaz, & Izquierdo, 2011). Due to the importance of
force for BJJ performance, the values obtained in
maximal strength, power, and muscular endurance
are significantly different between elite and non-
elite BJJ athletes (Diaz-Lara, García, Monteiro, &
Abian-Vicen, 2014; da Silva, Marocolo, De Moura
Simin, Rezende, & Mota, 2012; da Silva, Simim,
Marocolo, Franchini, & da Mota, 2014). The use of
caffeine to increase BJJ-specific manifestations of
muscle performance can represent an effective aid
for elite BJJ athletes due to the mechanisms related
to the ergogenicity of this stimulant. First, caffeine
might act antagonistically on adenosine receptors,
thus inhibiting the negative effects of adenosine on
neural drive (Davis & Green, 2009). For this
reason, pre-exercise caffeine intake has been related
to improved voluntary contraction and better intra-
and inter-muscular coordination during muscle con-
tractions (Del Coso et al., 2012). Besides, caffeine
has been also associated to hypoalgesic effects that
results in dampened pain perception, effects that
could improve overall performance in several
combat sports (Davis & Green, 2009). However, to
the authors’ knowledge, there is little scientific infor-
mation on the use of caffeine in combat sports and
there is no specific research related to caffeine and
BJJ. The main purpose of the present investigation
was to determinethe effectiveness of caffeine (3 mg
of caffeine per kg of body mass) to improve muscular
performance in BJJ. We hypothesized that the pre-
exercise ingestion of caffeine will improve dynamic
and isometric force, muscle power, and endurance
strength in elite BJJ athletes.
Methods
Subjects
Fourteen male and elite BJJ athletes (age: 29.2 ± 3.3
years, height: 173.8 ± 6.2 cm, body mass: 71.3 ± 9.1
kg, body fat: 7.5 ± 1.5%, and body muscle mass:
50.6 ± 3.3%) volunteered to participate in this inves-
tigation. All the participants were categorized as elite
because they had won the National championship in
Spain in their respective weight-categories or had
ranked among the first three classified in an
international championship organized by the BJJ
international federation (IBJJF) during the year of
the study. All participants had prior BJJ experience
of a least five years and had trained a minimum of
2 hours·day−1, 6 days·week−1 during the previous
year (competitive season). The participants were
light caffeine consumers (<60 mg per day, ∼1 cup
of coffee per day maximum). Participants were fully
informed of any risks and discomforts associated
with the experiments before giving their informed
written consent to participate. The study was
approved by the Camilo José Cela University
Review Board in accordance with the latest version
of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Experimental design
A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, and
crossover experimental design was used in this study.
Each athlete took part in two experimental trials at
the same time of day and under laboratory-controlled
conditions (21.4 ± 0.5°C dry temperature; 30.5 ±
5.5% relative humidity). Experimental trials were
separated by one week to allow complete recovery
and caffeine washout. In each experimental trial, ath-
letes ingested a capsule with an individualized dose of
3 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass (99% pure,
Bulkpowders, UK) or an identical capsule filled
with cellulose (e.g. 0 mg of caffeine per kg of body
mass; placebo). This dosage was selected based on
previous investigations in which the pre-exercise
intake of 3 mg kg−1 of caffeine have significantly
improved several aspects of physical performance in
individual and team sports while the side-effects
were minimal (Abian et al., 2015; Del Coso et al.,
2013, 2014). The order of the experimental trials
was randomized and counterbalanced.
Experimental protocol
The day before the first experimental trial, partici-
pants were nude-weighed (Radwag, Poland) to indi-
vidualize the caffeine dosage. On this day, the
anthropometric characteristics were measured by an
ISAK certified anthropometrist (Marfell-Jones,
Olds, Stewart, & Carter, 2006). Body fat was calcu-
lated from six skinfold measurements (triceps, sub-
scapular, umbilicus, suprailium, thigh, and lower
leg) according to the equations proposed by Carter
(1982). Body muscle mass was calculated by sub-
tracting fat mass (Carter, 1982), bone mass (Rocha,
1975), and residual mass (Würch, 1974) from total
body mass. The day before each experimental trial,
participants refrained from strenuous exercise and
adopted a similar diet and fluid intake regimen,
1080 F. J. Diaz-Lara et al.
replicating their pre-competition routines. Partici-
pants were encouraged to withdraw from all dietary
sources of caffeine (coffee, cola drinks, etc.) and
alcohol for 48 hours before testing. The day of the
experimental trials, participants had a pre-compe-
tition meal (three hours before the onset of the trial)
and 500 mL of water (two hours before the onset of
the trial). The compliance of pre-experimental pro-
cedures was verified by self-reported diet and exercise
questionnaires and the procedures were replicated
before the second experimental trial.
The experimental trials were carried out in the facili-
ties for grappling sports belonging to the Spanish High
Council for Sport. Participants arrived 75 minutes
before the beginning of the experimental trial and they
took the capsule assigned for the trial with 250 mL of
water. Then, they performed a standardized warm-up
that included 10 min of low-intensity running, light-
intensity activities involving the muscles to be tested
and 10 min of arm extensions in bench press with sub-
maximal loads. Sixty minutes after the ingestion of the
capsule, the athletes performed five different tests
with 10 min rest between the first 4 and 45 min rest
before the last test to obtain a complete recovery. The
tests were performed as follows:
Handgrip maximal force production: This test
was performed for both hands and was measured by
means of a handgrip dynamometer (Grip-D, Takei,
Japan) with a sensitivity of 1 N (Del Coso et al.,
2014). High test–retest reliability (Pearson’s r= 0.96–
0.98) and low systematic error (0.02 kg) have been
reported of handgrip strength in previous studies
(Espana-Romero et al., 2010; Ruiz et al., 2006). Ath-
letes performed two attempts with each hand and
with 1 min rest between repetitions. The maximal
value for each hand was used for statistical analysis.
Countermovement jump (CMJ): Participants
performed a maximal countermovement jump on a
force platform (Quattro Jump, Kistler, Switzerland)
with a sampling frequency of 500 Hz and a sensitivity
of 1 N. CMJ has been reported as a high reliable test
with a coefficient of variation of ∼2.4% and an intra-
class correlation coefficient of .93 (Moir, Button,
Glaister, & Stone, 2004). Athletes performed two
attempts with 1 min recovery between repetitions
(Del Coso et al., 2013). The jump with the highest
height was used for statistical analysis.
Maximal static lift (MSL): This is a highly
reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient = .97) and
specific gripping endurance test in BJJ, and it is
useful for differentiating among BJJ athletes from
different levels (da Silva et al., 2012). For this
measurement, we followed the protocol described
by da Silva et al. (2012): participants performed two
sets of grip exercises holding on to a gijacket rolled
around an elevated bar (2.5 m from the floor), with
the elbow joint maintained at 90°, with a pronated
grip and with minimal hip and knee flexion during
the whole test. BJJ athletes were required to maintain
this body position during the maximal possible while
the test finished when participants were unable to
maintain the elbow joint at 90°, confirmed by using
a analogic goniometer. The execution with the
longer time of grip was used for analysis. A rest
period of 5 min was established between repetitions.
Power-load and one-repetition maximum
(1RM) tests: Then, participants performed a
power-load test in a bench-press exercise with
increasing loads until they reached their 1RM,
according to the methods described by Brown and
Weir (2001). The initial load was set at 20 kg for all
subjects and was progressively increased with 10 kg
increments until the mean propulsive velocity
during the concentric phase of the muscle contrac-
tion was lower than 0.4 m/s. Thereafter, load was
adjusted with smaller increments (5, 2.5, and 1 kg,
respectively) until participants reached their 1RM.
The 1RM was considered valid when the mean pro-
pulsive velocity during the execution was lower than
0.2 m/s and participants were unable to perform the
following load. Ritti-Dias, Avelar, Salvador, and
Cyrino (2011) reported high reliability (intraclass
correlation coefficient = .94–.96) of this test. During
each repetition, velocity (in m·s−1), acceleration (in
m·s−2), and muscle power (in W) were recorded at
1000 Hz by linking a rotatory encoder (Isocontrol
5.0, Spain) to the end of the bar. After this test,
each load was relativized by individualized 1RM
values and grouped by clusters as %1RM.
Bench-press repetitions to failure: After 45
min of recovery, participants performed a test con-
sisting of bench-press repetitions to volitional
fatigue with the load at which they had obtained
their maximal power production in the power-load
test (45.1 ± 12.9% of 1RM). On a verbal command,
participantsperformed a concentric arm extension
as fast as possible, with no bouncing or arching of
the back permitted. The test continued until failure
and velocity (in m·s−1), acceleration (in m·s−2), and
muscle power (inW) were recorded by the same rota-
tory encoder used for the power-load test. For the
analysis, we used the total number of repetitions to
volitional fatigue and the first-15 repetitions, which
was the minimum number of repetitions performed
by all the participants.
Side effects evaluation: After ending the per-
formance measurements, participants were required
to fill out a questionnaire about their sensations of
muscle power, endurance, and perceived exertion
during the tests. This questionnaire included a 1–10
point scale to assess each item and it has been pre-
viously used with similar purposes in previous
Caffeine and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu performance 1081
investigations with caffeinated energy drinks (Del
Coso et al., 2012; Salinero et al., 2014). In addition,
participants were provided with a survey to be filled
out the following morning about sleep quality, ner-
vousness, gastrointestinal problems, and other dis-
comforts associated to the ingestion of caffeine.
This survey included seven items on a yes/no scale
and has been previously used to assess side effects
derived from caffeine capsules (Del Coso et al.,
2012; Salinero et al., 2014).
Statistical analysis
The results of each test were blindly introduced into
the statistical package SPSS v 19.0 (SPSS Inc.,
Chicago, IL, USA) and subsequently analysed. The
normality of each variable was initially tested with
the Shapiro–Wilk test. All the continuous variables
included in this research presented a normal distri-
bution (p > .05). To establish differences between
the caffeine trial and the placebo trial, Student’s t-
test for dependent samples was used for the variables
measured once during each experiment (CMJ, MSL,
etc). For the variables measured several times in the
same test (power-load test, bench press repetitions
to failure, etc), the difference between trials was
identified with an analysis of variance (ANOVA;
treatment × repetition). For this statistical procedure,
the differences were considered statistically signifi-
cant after a significant F test and with the use of the
Bonferroni post hoc procedure. The differences
between treatments in the 1-to-10-point scale used
for the self-reported feelings of muscle power, endur-
ance, and perceived exertion were identified by using
the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The McNemar test
was also used to detect differences in the prevalence
of side effects after the intake of caffeine and the
placebo capsules. The effect size was calculated in
all pairwise comparisons according to the formula
proposed by Glass, McGaw, and Smith (1981).
The magnitude of the effect size was interpreted
using Cohen’s scale (Cohen, 1988). The significance
level for all statistical tests was set at p< .05.
Results
Handgrip maximal force, CMJ and MSL tests
In comparison to the placebo, the pre-exercise inges-
tion of caffeine enhanced maximal force production
during the handgrip test in the dominant hand by
4.4 ± 6.3% (95% CI: 0.3–4.5 kg), and in the non-
dominant hand by 4.9 ± 7.3% (95% CI: 0.4–4.0 kg;
Table I). In the CMJ, caffeine increased jump
height by 3.7 ± 3.7% (95% CI: 0.1–2.1 cm) and
velocity at peak power by 1.3 ± 2.2% (95% CI:
0.01–0.06 m s−1) although there were no differences
in the values of force applied at peak power (Table
I). The ingestion of caffeine increased time recorded
in MSL test by 10.4 ± 7.3% (95% CI: 2.8–10.9 s).
1RM and power-load in bench press exercise
In comparison to the placebo, the ingestion of caf-
feine increased 1RM in the bench press by 3.0 ±
2.4% (95% CI: 0.5–5.0 kg), the maximal power
output by 10.5 ± 6.0% (95% CI: 33.9–119.0 W),
mean power by 7.2 ± 5.0% (95% CI: 7.9–51.9 W),
and maximal velocity by 5.6 ± 4.7% (95% CI: 0.01–
0.13 m/s; Table I). Caffeine also moved the power-
load curve upwards although the differences with
the placebo were only significant at 25%, 43%, and
68% of 1RM (F = 16.4, p < .05; Figure 1).
Bench-press repetitions to failure
In comparison to the placebo, the ingestion of caf-
feine improved the number of bench-press rep-
etitions to volitional fatigue (21.8 ± 8.1 vs. 25.0 ±
8.7 rep, p= .04, 95% CI: 0.2–6.0 rep, d= 0.4). More-
over, caffeine increased average muscle power pro-
duction during the whole test (280.2 ± 52.5 vs.
312.2 ± 78.3 W, p = .04, 95% CI: 0.6–63.3 W, d=
0.6). If we consider the first 15 repetitions
(minimum of repetitions performed by all partici-
pants), caffeine improved average muscle power in
comparison to the ingestion of a placebo (335.1 ±
48.6 vs. 385.6 ± 36.5 W, p < .001, 95% CI: 39.0–
61.9 W, d= 1.0) and it moved the power-repetitions
curve upwards with significant differences between
trials in almost all repetitions (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11,
12, 14, and 15; F= 8.8, p < .05; Figure 2).
Frequency of the side effects derived from caffeine
Typical side effects associated to caffeine intake were
similar in the caffeine and placebo trials (Table II).
However, the ingestion of caffeine improved their
rates of muscle power sensation (5.2 ± 1.5 vs. 5.9 ±
1.2 points, p= .05) and increased the rate of fatigue
sensation (6.2 ± 1.2 vs. 6.5 ± 1.8 points, p = .02).
Finally, muscular endurance sensations were rated
similarly in both experimental trials (5.9 ± 1.0 vs.
5.9 ± 0.4 points, p = .50).
Discussion
One of the novelties of the present investigation is the
assessment, for the first time, of the effects of caffeine
1082 F. J. Diaz-Lara et al.
on the physical performance of elite BJJ athletes.
Based upon previous scientific information about
the physical demands of BJJ (Diaz-Lara et al., 2014;
da Silva et al., 2012; da Silva et al., 2014), we
defined the most significant variables of muscular
performance in elite BJJ and designed an experiment
that included the measurement of several BJJ-specific
manifestations of force and power. In the present
investigation, results show that the pre-exercise inges-
tion of caffeine (3 mg kg−1) increased maximal iso-
metric (e.g. handgrip) and dynamic (e.g. 1RM)
force production in the upper body. The ingestion
of caffeine also increased maximal power output in
the upper body (e.g. power-load test) and lower-
body (e.g. CMJ) test. Furthermore, caffeine was
effective to increase muscular endurance in isometric
(e.g. maximal static lift) and dynamic (e.g. bench-
press repetitions to failure) resistance exercise tests.
On the other hand, the prevalence of side effects,
such as activeness, muscle soreness, anxiety, and
insomnia were similar after the ingestion of caffeine
and the placebo. All this information suggests that
caffeine might be an effective and safe ergogenic aid
for elite BJJ athletes.
The scientific information on the effectiveness of
caffeine to improve performance in combat sports is
very scarce and controversial. In judo, caffeine inges-
tion (6 mg kg−1) did not increase performance in a
judo-specific performance test (Lopes-Silva,
Felippe, Silva-Cavalcante, Bertuzzi, & Lima-Silva,
2014). In wrestling, caffeine (5 mg kg−1) had a detri-
mental effect on upper body intermittent sprint per-
formance (e.g. crank-arm Wingate test) in trained
wrestlers under simulated competition conditions
(Aedma, Timpmann, & Oopik, 2013). However, in
taekwondo, a recent study has suggested that caffeine
ingestion (5 mg kg−1) can enhance performance in a
specific task and it can be effective to delay fatigue
during successive taekwondo combats (Santos
et al., 2014). The inconsistencies in the main
outcomes of these investigations, the differences in
the test used to assess performance, and the discre-
pancies in the physical requirements of these sport
disciplines make it difficult to deduce whether caf-
feine can be considered an ergogenic aid for combat
sports.
The present investigation includes the measure-
ment of several manifestations of force to unequivo-
cally determinethe ergogenic effect of caffeine in
combat sports, with special reference to BJJ athletes.
Our data indicate that the ingestion of caffeine (3 mg
kg−1) increased maximal force production in a hand
grip test with both hands (Table I), coinciding with
Del Coso et al. (2014) who showed significant
improvements in hand grip force in volleyball
players with a similar dose of caffeine. The partici-
pants in the current investigation also increased
their maximal force production in the bench-press
exercise (Table I). Del Coso et al. (2012) reported
similar improvements in maximal power output in
the lower (squat exercise) and upper (bench-press
exercise) body with the same dose of caffeine (3 mg
kg−1). Pallares et al. (2013) also found that doses of
3 mg kg−1 are enough to improve high-velocity
muscle actions against low loads (25%–50% 1RM)
in both upper and lower limbs. Finally, recent inves-
tigations in various sports such as soccer, rugby, vol-
leyball, and badminton that have used caffeinated
energy drinks (3 mg kg−1) have obtained perform-
ance improvements in leg muscle power output and
height during different jumping tests (Abian et al.,
2015; Del Coso et al., 2013, 2014). It seems
evident that caffeine is an effective ergogenic aid to
improve force- and power-based muscle contractions
and because these actions are vital for success in
combat sports (Diaz-Lara et al., 2014; Franchini
et al., 2013; Garcia-Pallares et al., 2011; da Silva
et al., 2014) we can infer that caffeine is an effective
aid to improve upper and lower-body muscle power
in BJJ and other comparable grappling sports.
Table I. Handgrip force, time recorded in the maximum static lift test, countermovement jump (CMJ) variables, and force, power and
velocity in a bench-press power-load test with the ingestion of caffeine (3 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass) or a placebo
Placebo Caffeine Δ (%) p-Value Effect size
Dominant handgrip force (kg) 53.5 ± 3.2 55.9 ± 5.1 4.4 ± 6.3 .03 0.8
Non-dominant handgrip force (kg) 48.4 ± 5.2 50.7 ± 4.9 4.9 ± 7.3 .02 0.4
Maximum static lift (s) 54.4 ± 13.4 59.2 ± 11.9 10.4 ± 13.7 <.01 0.5
Jump height in the CMJ (cm) 40.6 ± 2.6 41.7 ± 3.1 3.7 ± 3.7 .02 0.2
Velocity at peak power in the CMJ (m s−1) 2.60 ± 0.13 2.64 ± 0.13 1.3 ± 2.2 .03 0.2
Force at peak power in the CMJ (N) 1436.4 ± 162.7 1421.4 ± 157.3 −0.9 ± 3.9 .20 0.1
1RM in the bench-press exercise (kg) 90.5 ± 7.7 93.3 ± 7.5 3.0 ± 2.4 .02 0.4
Maximal power output in the bench-press exercise (W) 750.5 ± 154.7 826.9 ± 163.7 10.5 ± 5.9 <.01 0.5
Mean power output in the bench-press exercise (W) 417.5 ± 111.7 447.4 ± 119.8 7.2 ± 4.8 .01 0.3
Maximal velocity in the bench-press exercise (m s−1) 1.28 ± 0.7 1.35 ± 0.7 5.6 ± 4.7 .03 0.1
Data are mean ± SD for 14 BJJ athletes.
Caffeine and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu performance 1083
Regarding endurance muscular actions, another
novelty of the present investigation is the determi-
nation for the first time of the effects of caffeine in
grip strength endurance, which is a key variable for
several grappling sport (e.g. judo, wrestling, and BJJ)
(Franchini et al., 2013; Garcia-Pallares et al., 2011;
da Silva et al., 2012). Coinciding with this finding,
Warren, Park, Maresca, McKibans, and Millard-Staf-
ford (2010) in a meta-analysis research found that caf-
feine improved muscular endurance by ∼18% in
studies in which a submaximal isometric force was
maintained until volitional fatigue. In addition, pre-
exercise caffeine intake increased the number of rep-
etitions to failure in a bench-press test set at the load
of maximal power. If we only consider the first 15 rep-
etitions during the endurance bench-press exercise,
the ingestion of caffeine undoubtedly moved the
power-repetition curve upwards (Figure 2). Thus as
a practical recommendation for grappling sports in
which muscle endurance is one of the most critical
components of performance, especially as match dur-
ation increases (Ratamess, 2011), we suggest that caf-
feine can be effective to maintain muscle force and
power during sustained isometric and dynamic
muscle contractions.
To determine whether caffeine represents a risk to
the athlete’s well-being, we assessed side effects typi-
cally associated with caffeine ingestion in both exper-
imental trials (Abian et al., 2015; Del Coso et al.,
2013). In the present investigation, the pre-compe-
tition intake of caffeine did not produce significant
side effects just after the combat or in the following
24 hours, at least when compared with a placebo sub-
stance. The only perceived effects were increased
feelings of muscle power and fatigue during the
tests which reinforce the view that caffeine can be
ergogenic in combat sports. In any case, these data
indicate that the acute ingestion of a moderate dose
of caffeine (3 mg kg−1) is harmless for BJJ athletes.
In the present investigation, we did not assess the
underlying mechanisms related to the benefits
found on muscle performance with the caffeine
intake. However, previous investigations have
suggested a number of explanations for the ergogeni-
city derived from caffeine administration. Several
Figure 1. Maximal propulsive power against load for bench-press
concentric actions with the ingestion of caffeine (3 mg of caffeine
per kg of body mass) or a placebo. Data are mean ± SD for 14
BJJ athletes. ∗Caffeine different from placebo at p< .05.
Figure 2. Mean propulsive power during a bench-press exercise to
failure test with the ingestion of caffeine (3 mg of caffeine per kg of
body mass) or a placebo. Data are mean ± SD for 14 BJJ athletes.
∗Caffeine different from placebo at p< .05.
Table II. Prevalence of side effects reported the morning after the ingestion of 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass or
a placebo
Placebo Caffeine p-Value
Headache 0 7.1 .32
Abdominal/gut discomfort 7.1 14.3 .32
Muscle soreness 14.3 28.6 .56
Increased vigour/activeness 14.3 42.8 .16
Tachycardia and heart palpitations 0 0 –
Insomnia 7.1 14.3 .56
Increased urine production 0 0 –
Increased anxiety 0 0 –
Data are frequencies for 14 BJJ athletes, expressed as percentage of positive cases.
1084 F. J. Diaz-Lara et al.
investigations indicated that the increased muscle
force and power production with caffeine can be
related to improved central drive (e.g. enhanced
motor unit recruitment (Warren et al., 2010) and
better intra- and inter-muscular coordination (Del
Coso et al., 2012)). It has been previously hypoth-
esized that this central effect of caffeine could be
related to the antagonistic effect of caffeine on adeno-
sine receptors (Davis & Green, 2009). However,
other local/peripheral mechanism such as enhanced
calcium mobilization in the sarcoplasmic reticulum,
the inhibition of phosphodiesterase or the enhanced
Na+/K + pump activity (Magkos & Kavouras, 2005)
could be also associated to the enhancement on
muscle performance found after caffeine ingestion
in the current investigation.
The experimental design used in this investigation
has some limitations that need to be discussed to
improve the applicability of the main outcomes of
this study. First, we have used a single and moderate
dose of caffeine before exercise, while most BJJ com-
petitions are carried out during multi-day tourna-
ments with several combats per day. Thus, it is
necessary to investigate whether caffeine might be
ergogenic when ingested in during various compe-
tition days. Besides, it is needed to determine
whether caffeine has no drawbacks when ingested
during consecutive days in a BJJ competition.
Second, we have used several BJJ-specific tests to
assess the effects of caffeine on muscular perform-
ance of elite BJJ. However, it is necessary to deter-
mine whether the improvements of muscle
performance found in these sport-specific tests can
be translated to enhanced performance during a
real or simulated BJJ competition.
In summary, the ingestion of 3 mg of caffeine per
kg of body mass enhanced several variables related
to muscular performance in elite BJJ athletes, while
there were nopernicious side effects with this
dosage. Thus, it can be concluded that caffeine
might be an ergogenic nutritional supplement to
improve dynamic and isometric force, muscle
power, and endurance strength in elite BJJ athletes.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the participants for their
contribution to the study. In addition, they thank
the Spanish High Council for Sport for its invaluable
help for the purposes of this investigation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the
authors.
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1086 F. J. Diaz-Lara et al.
	Abstract
	Introduction
	Methods
	Subjects
	Experimental design
	Experimental protocol
	Statistical analysis
	Results
	Handgrip maximal force, CMJ and MSL tests
	1RM and power-load in bench press exercise
	Bench-press repetitions to failure
	Frequency of the side effects derived from caffeine
	Discussion
	Acknowledgements
	Disclosure statement
	References