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Study note

Caffeine improves physical and cognitive performance during exhaustive exercise.

Updated Oct 16, 2026

Human researchMedicine and science in sports and exercise2008Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

The caffeine-bar condition produced a longer time to exhaustion than both comparison conditions. Some cognitive-test results also favored caffeine; this does not mean every performance measure improved.

Participants and protocol

Twenty-four trained cyclists compared a carbohydrate bar with caffeine, an energy-matched bar without caffeine, and a placebo drink. Prolonged cycling was followed by an exhaustion test; cognitive tasks were assessed repeatedly.

What this cannot establish

The tested product and prolonged-cycling protocol do not establish a universal caffeine dose or a race-time benefit for every athlete.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 18799996
Publication types
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't · Randomized Controlled Trial
Indexed subjects
Saliva · Caffeine · Blood Glucose · Central Nervous System Stimulants · Placebos
Source record checked
2026-10-16

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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