Effect of Acute Caffeine Supplementation on Dynamic Force Indicators at Different Training Moments in Paralympic Powerlifting

Abstract

Background: Several reports have highlighted the beneficial impacts of caffeine on performance in various disciplines of Paralympic Powerlifting (PP), a sport renowned for its emphasis on maximal strength. Moreover, caffeine consumption within the context of PP has been found to be safe. Objective: To examine the effects of caffeine intake before, during, and after PP training sessions at national level in Brazil. Methods: Thirteen male PP athletes competing at national level (31.31 ± 10.13 years, 80.77 ± 22.66 kg) participated in the study. They were provided with either 9.0 mg/kg of Caffeine Anhydrous (CA) or Placebo (PL) and were evaluated using 45% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) before and after training sessions, as well as 24 and 48 hours after sessions. Additionally, they performed five sets of five repetitions maximum (5x5), with assessments carried out during the first and fifth sets for all five repetitions. Evaluations focused on Mean Propulsive Velocity (MPV), Maximum Velocity (MaxV), and Power. Results: No significant differences were observed with 45% 1RM. However, at 80% 1RM, CA demonstrated significant improvement compared to PL during Set 1 and Set 5 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: CA exhibits promising ergogenic properties, enabling athletes to sustain training intensity throughout the session, even when working with heavier PP loads.