Does caffeine ingestion before a short-term sprint interval training promote body fat loss?

• Main Author: Ferreira,G.A.
• Publication Date: 2019
• Other Authors: Felippe,L.C., Bertuzzi,R., Bishop,D.J., Ramos,I.S., De-Oliveira,F.R., Lima-Silva,A.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
• Download full: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2019001200609
• topic: High-intensity interval training; Body composition; Body fat distribution; Health; 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine

We investigated the effect of caffeine ingestion combined with a 2-wk sprint interval training (SIT) on training-induced reductions in body adiposity. Twenty physically-active men ingested either 5 mg/kg of cellulose as a placebo (PLA, n=10) or 5 mg/kg of caffeine (CAF, n=10) 60 min before each SIT session (13×30 s sprint/15 s of rest). Body mass and skinfold thickness were measured pre- and post-training. Energy expenditure was measured at rest, during exercise, and 45 min after exercise in the first SIT session. Body fat was similar between PLA and CAF groups at pre-training (P>0.05). However, there was a significant decrease in body fat after training in the CAF group (−5.9±4.2%, P<0.05) but not in PLA (1.5±8.0%, P>0.05). There was no difference in energy expenditure at rest and during exercise between PLA and CAF groups (P>0.05), but the post-exercise energy expenditure was 18.3±21.4% greater in the CAF than in the PLA group (P<0.05). In conclusion, caffeine ingestion before SIT sessions induced a body fat loss that may be associated with higher post-exercise energy expenditure.