The effects of caffeine intake varies between individuals, and this variation has been attributed to factors such as age, gender and more recently, genetics. Now, a Massey University study is looking for athletic men to help researchers find out more about the effect of caffeine on sporting performance.
While exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle can prevent communicable diseases, it can also cause a stress response. In women, the exercise-induced stress response is implicated in menstrual dysfunction, infertility and osteoporosis later in life. Now Massey University researchers are investigating whether kiwifruit, which is high in vitamin C, can reduce the stress response triggered by exercise in women.
The Sports Science team's study is designed to examine the effect of moderate caffeine ingestion on a player's physiological and skilled performance. In order to quantify the specific effects of caffeine on performance, Dr Foskett's colleague, Dr Ajmol Ali, has developed a validated soccer skills test for players which the pair will use to measure the effects of caffeine during a simulated game.