Short-term Effects of Caffeine and a Multi-ingredient Pre-workout on Exercise Performance

NCT07024940 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 34611
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The investigators are conducting a study to see how a commercial pre-workout supplement, coffee, and water affect how well people perform. The study is conducted across four visits. The first visit is to assess the participants, and the next three visits are for testing. Each participant will drink a randomly assigned beverage 45 minutes before testing. Throughout the study, the participants will complete three testing days-each at least three days apart-so they can try all three drinks. The first test is the Wingate test, where the participants pedal as fast as they can for 30 seconds against a set resistance. The second test is a 1-mile treadmill run/walk on an incline, where the participant tries to complete the distance as fast as possible. The third test measures reaction time using light-up buttons to see how quickly a participant responds by touching them. These tests will help determine if any of the drinks improve performance. The results can help people choose the best drink for their workouts or races.

Conditions

Coffee; Anthocyanins; Exercise Performance

Keywords

Coffee; Caffeine; Wingate; Anthocyanin-Caffeine; 1-mile; VO2 max; pre-workout; supplement

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in anaerobic power measured by a 30-second all-out effort on a cycle ergometer

  The primary outcome measured is the change in anaerobic power measured by a 30-second all-out effort on a cycle ergometer using the Wingate testing. This test will determine whether the interventions confer any performance benefit compared to the placebo.

  At 45 minutes post-dose for each intervention condition

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• 1-mile Treadmill time trial

  At 45 minutes post-dose for each intervention condition

• Agility Reaction Time

  At 45 minutes post-dose for each intervention condition

Study Arms (3)

Ethiopian Coffee

EXPERIMENTAL

A light roast Ethiopian Coffee is used based on previous research using the same technique for brewing. The coffee is brewed using the Aeropress coffee maker and the Timemore C3Pro hand grinder to grind the coffee. The recipe uses 15 grams of ground coffee set at the same grind setting (16 clicks) and 200 grams of water to have a target cup size of 175 mL plus 50 grams of ice to rapidly cool down the drink for consumption.

Other: Ethiopian Coffee

Anthocyanin-Caffeine

EXPERIMENTAL

An anthocyanin-caffeine pre-workout supplement containing 120 mg of anthocyanins from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries, along with 120 mg of caffeine. This single-serve packet is stirred into 8 ounces of water and served.

Dietary Supplement: Supplement

Water

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Water used as a constant water intake across all three arms

Other: Water (Placebo)

Interventions

Ethiopian Coffee OTHER

Ethiopian Coffee is used as a real-world example of one of the most common drinks in the world.

Ethiopian Coffee

Supplement DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

A pre-workout supplement that contains anthocyanins and caffeine as ergogenic aids

Anthocyanin-Caffeine

Water (Placebo) OTHER

Bottled water acting as the placebo

Water

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Are a healthy male or female adult aged 18-35 years old
• Regularly engaged in resistance training or aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week, at least 30 minutes a week for the past 6 months
• Able to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Have a history of or currently have a cardiovascular or metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease)
• History of seizure disorder
• Currently taking prescription medications (e.g., beta-blockers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety, pain killers)
• Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, pregnant within the past year, or a chance of being pregnant
• Recent participation in another clinical trial
• Any sensitivities to caffeine, coffee, berries, maltodextrin, monk fruit extract, or any known food allergies
• Currently undertaking serious exercise training (6 or more days of the week)
• Recently started taking creatine or beta-alanine daily within the past 3 months. (If greater than 3 months taken consistently is okay)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• St. Louis University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Saint Louis University

St Louis, Missouri, 63103, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (7)

• Castañeda-Babarro A. The Wingate Anaerobic Test, a Narrative Review of the Protocol Variables That Affect the Results Obtained. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11(16):7417. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167417

  BACKGROUND

• Lindsey ZR, Williams JR, Burgess JS, Moore NT, Splichal PM. Caffeine content in filter coffee brews as a function of degree of roast and extraction yield. Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 25;14(1):29126. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80385-3.

  PMID: 39582028 BACKGROUND

• Jardine WT, Aisbett B, Kelly MK, Burke LM, Ross ML, Condo D, Periard JD, Carr AJ. The Effect of Pre-Exercise Hyperhydration on Exercise Performance, Physiological Outcomes and Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2023 Nov;53(11):2111-2134. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01885-2. Epub 2023 Jul 25.

  PMID: 37490269 BACKGROUND

• Peacock OJ, Thompson D, Stokes KA. Voluntary drinking behaviour, fluid balance and psychological affect when ingesting water or a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during exercise. Appetite. 2012 Feb;58(1):56-63. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.08.023. Epub 2011 Sep 29.

  PMID: 21986184 BACKGROUND

• Lee JD, Sterrett LE, Guth LM, Konopka AR, Mahon AD. The effect of pre-exercise carbohydrate supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance in adolescent males. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2011 Aug;23(3):344-54. doi: 10.1123/pes.23.3.344.

  PMID: 21881155 BACKGROUND

• Kaczka P, Batra A, Kubicka K, Maciejczyk M, Rzeszutko-Belzowska A, Pezdan-Sliz I, Michalowska-Sawczyn M, Przydzial M, Plonka A, Cieszczyk P, Huminska-Lisowska K, Zajac T. Effects of Pre-Workout Multi-Ingredient Supplement on Anaerobic Performance: Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 9;17(21):8262. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218262.

  PMID: 33182295 BACKGROUND

• Krzysztof, Wioleta Dorobek, Katarzyna Stankiewicz, Janusz Świeczkowski-Feiz. The Role of Caffeine in Enhancing Physical Performance: From Metabolism to Muscle Function. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2024;59. doi:10.12775/JEHS.2024.59.010

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Dietary Supplements; Water

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages; Hydroxides; Alkalies; Inorganic Chemicals; Anions; Ions; Electrolytes; Oxides; Oxygen Compounds

Study Officials

• Hossein Rafiei, PhD

  St. Louis University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Dylan Moffatt, Bsc

CONTACT

314-977-8675; dylan.moffatt@slu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 2, 2025
• First Posted: June 17, 2025
• Study Start: April 25, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Last Updated: August 19, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)