1Yarmouk University, Department of Sports/Movement Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education, Irbid, Jordan
Effects of Acute Caffeine Administration on Pituitary–Testicular Hormonal Responses and Muscle Damage Biomarkers following Muscular Endurance in Well Resistance–Trained Males
Sport Mont 2023, 21(3), 9-15 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.231002
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute caffeine administration on pituitary-testicular hormonal (prolactin (PRL), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and total testosterone (TT)) responses and muscle damage biomarkers (creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB, myoglobin, and troponin) following muscular endurance test. In addition, total repetitions to failure were determined. Eleven well resistance-trained males (29.11±3.21 years) performed two consecutive trials (7 days apart). Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover design, participants administered either 5 mg/kg of caffeine or a placebo 1 hour prior to the test. The test consisted of 3 sets × repetitions to failure at 70% of 1-RM, with 90 s recovery interval, in each bench press, biceps curl, shoulder press, leg press, back squat, and leg extension. Repetitions were counted in each set in each exercise. Blood samples were collected 1 h after the end of each trial from each participant to measure the aforementioned study parameters. Results indicated that caffeine had positively effect on FSH (p=.046) and TT (p=.049) but had negatively effect on CK (p=.012) compared to the placebo. However, no significant (p˃0.05) differences were found in PRL, LH, CK-MB, myoglobin, and troponin between trials. Total repetitions to failure were significantly (p=.013) greater in caffeine trial (334.38±9.70) than in the placebo (309.07±9.43). In conclusion: 5 mg/kg of caffeine administered 1 h prior to muscular endurance test performed by multiple resistance exercises had beneficial effect on FSH and TT probably due to affecting androgen receptors. However, the values of biomarkers of muscle damage were similar in both trials. Hence, male strength athletes may consider using this dose pre-training as an effective ergogenic aid during muscle endurance training.
Keywords
adenosine receptors, androgen receptors, catecholamines, hypothalamus, prolactin
View full article
(PDF – 129KB)
References
Abumoh’d, M. F., Shamrokh, N., Bataineh, A. S., & Al-Horani, R. (2021). Effects of acute caffeine on muscle damage biomarkers and time to exhaustion after a single session of resistance exercises followed by exhaustive incremental test in long-distance runners. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 16(2), 361-372. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2021.162.11
Astorino, T. A., Rohmann, R. L., & Firth, K. (2008). Effect of caffeine ingestion on one-repetition maximum muscular strength. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 102, 127-132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0557-x
Cadegiani, F. A., & Kater, C. E. (2019). Enhancement of hypothalamic-pituitary activity in male athletes: evidence of a novel hormonal mechanism of physical conditioning. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 19(1), 117, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-019-0443-7
Davis, J.-K., Green, J. M., & Laurent, C. M. (2012). Effects of Caffeine on Resistance Training Performance on Repetitions to Failure. Journal of Caffeine Research, 2(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1089/jcr.2012.0005
Duncan, M. J., Stanley, M., Parkhouse, N., Cook, K., & Smith, M. (2013). Acute caffeine ingestion enhances strength performance and reduces perceived exertion and muscle pain perception during resistance exercise. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(4), 392–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2011.635811
Ferreira, T. T., da Silva, J. V. F., & Bueno, N. B. (2021). Effects of caffeine supplementation on muscle endurance, maximum strength, and perceived exertion in adults submitted to strength training: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61(15), 2587–2600. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1781051
Fragala, M. S., Kraemer, W. J., Denegar, C. R., Maresh, C. M., Mastro, A. M., & Volek, J. S. (2011). Neuroendocrine-Immune Interactions and Responses to Exercise. Sports Medicine, 41(8), 621–639. https://doi.org/10.2165/11590430-000000000-00000
Glover, F. E., Caudle, W. M., Del Giudice, F., Belladelli, F., Mulloy, E., Lawal, E., & Eisenberg, M. L. (2022). The association between caffeine intake and testosterone: NHANES 2013–2014. Nutrition Journal, 21(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-022-00783-z
Graham T. E. (2001). Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 31(11), 785–807. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200131110-00002
Green, J., Wickwire, P., McLester, J., Gendle, S., Hudson, G., Pritchett, R., & Laurent, M. (2007). Effects of Caffeine on Repetitions to Failure and Ratings of Perceived Exertion During Resistance Training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2, 250–259. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2.3.250
Grgic, J., & Mikulic, P. (2021). Acute effects of caffeine supplementation on resistance exercise, jumping, and Wingate performance: no influence of habitual caffeine intake. European Journal of Sport Science, 21(8), 1165–1175. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2020.1817155
Heavens, K. R., Szivak, T. K., Hooper, D. R., Dunn-Lewis, C., Comstock, B. A., Flanagan, S. D., Looney, D. P., Kupchak, B. R., Maresh, C. M., Volek, J. S., & Kraemer, W. J. (2014). The Effects of High Intensity Short Rest Resistance Exercise on Muscle Damage Markers in Men and Women. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(4). https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2014/04000/the_effects_of_high_intensity_short_rest.23.aspx
Hurley, C. F., Hatfield, D. L., & Riebe, D. A. (2013). The Effect of Caffeine Ingestion on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(11). https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2013/11000/the_effect_of_caffeine_ingestion_on_delayed_onset.24.aspx
Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2005). Hormonal Responses and Adaptations to Resistance Exercise and Training. Sports Medicine, 35(4), 339–361. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535040-00004
Lee, S., Miselis, R., & Rivier, C. (2002). Anatomical and Functional Evidence for a Neural Hypothalamic-Testicular Pathway that Is Independent of the Pituitary. Endocrinology, 143(11), 4447–4454. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2002-220392
Machado, M., Vinícios, P., Zovico, C., Paulucio, D., Pereira, L., Barreto, J., & Pereira, R. (2008). Caffeine Does Not Increase Resistance Exercise-Induced Microdamage. Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, 6(2), 115-120.
Machado, M., Zini, E. N., Valadão, S. D., Amorim, M. Z., Barroso, T. Z., & de Oliveira, W. (2012). Relationship of glomerular filtration rate and serum CK activity after resistance exercise in women. International Urology and Nephrology, 44(2), 515–521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-011-9963-4
McCaulley, G. O., McBride, J. M., Cormie, P., Hudson, M. B., Nuzzo, J. L., Quindry, J. C., & Travis Triplett, N. (2009). Acute hormonal and neuromuscular responses to hypertrophy, strength and power type resistance exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 105(5), 695–704. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0951-z
Owens, D. J., Twist, C., Cobley, J. N., Howatson, G., & Close, G. L. (2019). Exercise-induced muscle damage: What is it, what causes it and what are the nutritional solutions? European Journal of Sport Science, 19(1), 71–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1505957
Polito, M. D., Grandolfi, K., & de Souza, D. B. (2019). Caffeine and resistance exercise: the effects of two caffeine doses and the influence of individual perception of caffeine. European Journal of Sport Science, 19(10), 1342–1348. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2019.1596166
Raastad, T., Bjøro, T., & Hallén, J. (2000). Hormonal responses to high- and moderate-intensity strength exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(1), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050661
Ruiz-Fernández, I., Valadés, D., Dominguez, R., Ferragut, C., & Pérez-López, A. (2023). Load and muscle group size influence the ergogenic effect of acute caffeine intake in muscular strength, power and endurance. European Journal of Nutrition, 62(4), 1783–1794. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03109-9
Smilios, I., Tsoukos, P., Zafeiridis, A., Spassis, A., & Tokmakidis, S. P. (2013). Hormonal responses after resistance exercise performed with maximum and submaximum movement velocities. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(3), 351–357. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0147
Soleimani, A., Shakerian, S., & Ranjbar, R. (2018). The effect of caffeine supplementation on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and creatine kinase after exhausted aerobic exercise in active overweight university students. Journal of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, 24(2), 84-93. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:207821214
Spiering, B. A., Kraemer, W. J., Vingren, J. L., Ratamess, N. A., Anderson, J. M., Armstrong, L. E., … & Maresh, C. M. (2009). Elevated endogenous testosterone concentrations potentiate muscle androgen receptor responses to resistance exercise. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 114(3), 195–199. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2009.02.005
Stokes, K. A., Gilbert, K. L., Hall, G. M., Andrews, R. C., & Thompson, D. (2013). Different responses of selected hormones to three types of exercise in young men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(3), 775–783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2487-5
Vieira, J. M., Carvalho, F. B., Gutierres, J. M., Soares, M. S. P., Oliveira, P. S., Rubin, M. A., … & Spanevello, R. M. (2017). Caffeine prevents high-intensity exercise-induced increase in enzymatic antioxidant and Na+-K+-ATPase activities and reduction of anxiolytic like-behaviour in rats. Redox Report, 22(6), 493–500. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510002.2017.1322739
Willoughby, D. S., Spillane, M., & Schwarz, N. (2014). Heavy Resistance Training and Supplementation With the Alleged Testosterone Booster Nmda has No Effect on Body Composition, Muscle Performance, and Serum Hormones Associated With the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 13(1), 192–199. PMCID: PMC3918557
Wu, B. H., & Lin, J. C. (2010). Caffeine attenuates acute growth hormone response to a single bout of resistance exercise. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 9(2), 262–269. PMCID: PMC3761732