Short-term Effects of Caffeine and a Multi-ingredient Pre-workout on Exercise Performance

This study is being conducted to evaluate how a commercial pre-workout supplement with multiple ingredients and coffee affects how people perform during exercise testing. The study takes place over 4 separate lab visits. The first lab visit is an assessment for each participant to help define the population to be tested. Then, three testing visits will be identical in design but will differ in the intervention given to the participant. Each participant will consume the pre-workout, coffee, and a placebo in a randomized order. At the beginning of each visit, the participant will consume their assigned beverage. The participants will then start a warm-up after 30 minutes of consuming the assigned beverage. After the 10-minute warm-up, the participant will rest for five minutes before conducting the testing. In the testing visits, participants will conduct a 1-mile treadmill run, in which the participant will determine their speed using a 1% incline. This allows the participant to control the speed, allowing them to try as hard as they can. The next test will be a Wingate cycle ergometer test. The test contains a 20-second warm-up followed by a three-second period where the participant will pedal as fast as they can until the test begins, then they will do an all-out effort for 30 seconds. The participant will then conduct an agility reaction time test to measure any benefits the interventions may have on cognitive function.

Inclusion criteria

• Are a healthy male or female adult aged 18-35 years old
• Regularly engaged in resistance training or aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week, at least 30 minutes a week for the past 6 months
• Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Have a history of or currently have a cardiovascular or metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease)
• History of seizure disorder
• Currently taking prescription medications (e.g., beta-blockers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety, pain killers)
• Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, pregnant within the past year, or a chance of being pregnant
• Recent participation in another clinical trial
• Any sensitivities to caffeine, coffee, berries, maltodextrin, monk fruit extract, or any known food allergies
• Currently undertaking serious exercise training (6 or more days of the week)
• Recently started taking creatine or beta-alanine daily within the past 3 months. (If greater than 3 months taken consistently is okay)