Preliminary Research towards Acute Effects of Different Doses of Caffeine on Strength–Power Performance in Highly Trained Judo Athletes

Although several previous studies examined the effect of pre-exercise caffeine ingestion on judo-specific performance, the optimal dose of caffeine to maximise the ergogenic effects for judoka is not clear. The main purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of oral administration of 3 and 6 mg/kg of caffeine on a battery of physical tests associated with judo performance. Ten highly trained national-level judoka (6 men and 4 women, age: 24.1 ± 4.7 years, body mass: 73.4 ± 12.9 kg, 15.1 ± 5.2 years of judo training experience, 2.6 mg/kg/day of habitual caffeine intake) participated in a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled and double-blind experiment. Each judoka performed three identical experimental sessions after: (a) ingestion of 3 mg/kg of caffeine (CAF-3); (b) ingestion of 6 mg/kg of caffeine (CAF-6); (c) ingestion of a placebo (PLAC). After 60 min for substance absorption, participants performed the following tests: (a) bench press exercise with 50% of the load representing one-repetition maximum (1RM), including three sets of three repetitions; (b) bench pull exercise with 50% of 1RM including three sets of three repetitions; (c) countermovement jump; (d) maximal isometric handgrip strength test; (e) dynamic and isometric versions of the Judogi Grip Strength Test. In comparison with PLAC, the ingestion of CAF-3 and CAF-6 increased peak bar velocity in the bench press exercise (1.27 ± 0.11 vs. 1.34 ± 0.13 and 1.34 ± 0.15 m/s, respectively; p < 0.01) and mean bar velocity in the bench pull exercise (1.03 ± 0.15 vs. 1.13 ± 0.13 and 1.17 ± 0.15 m/s; p < 0.05). Only CAF-6 increased mean bar velocity in the bench press exercise when compared with PLAC (0.96 ± 0.09 vs. 1.02 ± 0.11 m/s; p < 0.05). Both CAF-3 and CAF-6 significantly increased the number of repetitions in the Judogi Grip Strength Test (17 ± 10 vs. 20 ± 10 and 20 ± 10 repetitions; p < 0.05). There were no differences between PLAC and caffeine doses in the remaining tests. The pre-exercise ingestion of 3 and 6 mg/kg of caffeine effectively obtained meaningful improvements in several aspects associated with judo performance. From a practical viewpoint, the selection between 3 or 6 mg/kg of caffeine may depend on previously tested individual responses during simulated competition.