Individualised Caffeine Use in Sport and Exercise
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editors
Interests: caffeine; sports supplementation; human nutrition; polyphenols; training; supplement dose optimization; inflammation; oxidative stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: bioactive compounds; coffee; caffeine; human nutrition; food processing; food analysis; sports nutrition
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Caffeine has long been embedded in the culture of sport and physical activity, spanning both recreational exercise and competitive performance. It is also one of the most extensively studied compounds in sports nutrition, with a substantial body of evidence describing its effects on endurance performance, perceived exertion and cognitive function during exercise.
Despite the extensive literature, responses to caffeine are far from uniform. Genetic background, habitual intake, sex, and timing of ingestion all influence both performance outcomes and tolerability. The various caffeine sources, including coffee, dietary supplements and energy drinks, differ in caffeine content, absorption kinetics and accompanying bioactive compounds, which may contribute to variability in physiological responses and real-world effectiveness. Furthermore, approaches to optimal caffeine dosing in sport continue to evolve, shifting from absolute doses and body mass scaling towards more individualised strategies that account for body composition, metabolic characteristics and individual sensitivity.
Beyond acute ergogenic effects, growing interest has focused on the role of caffeine in recovery, repeated training exposure and interactions with sleep and circadian biology. Caffeine increases cortisol levels, so it is important to consume it at the right time. These considerations are particularly relevant in modern sport, where athletes often face high training loads, congested competition schedules and limited recovery time.
This Special Issue seeks original research and reviews examining caffeine and exercise performance from mechanistic, experimental and applied perspectives. Contributions addressing individual variability, dosing strategies and comparisons between different sources and patterns of caffeine intake are particularly welcome.
Dr. Przemysław Domaszewski
Dr. Joanna Grzelczyk
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- caffeine
- coffee
- sports
- exercise
- performance
- supplements
- sports nutrition
- polyphenols
- optimization
- ergogenic effects
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