Caffeine's Effect on Exercise Performance Not Due to an Effect on Motoneurons

Article title: Caffeine does not influence persistent inward current contribution to motoneuron firing

Authors: Karen Mackay, Lucas B. R. Orssatto, Remco Polman, Jolieke C. Van der Pols, and Gabriel S. Trajano

From the authors: “Collectively, these results indicate that caffeine might not have a direct effect at a spinal level at rest and during exercise. The ergogenic benefits of caffeine on attenuation of performance loss during repetitive sustained maximal contractions may be underpinned by different neural and/or muscular mechanisms, other than changes in [persistent inward current] contribution to self-sustained firing.”

This study is highlighted as one of January’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.