Research summary · Nutrition and energy
Caffeine in female intermittent-sport athletes
A review evaluates acute caffeine effects on agility, jumping and sprinting in female intermittent-sport athletes, including available menstrual-phase data.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- Frontiers in Nutrition
- Population / context
- Female intermittent-sport athletes
What the publication reports
Nine studies included 118 participants and six studies with 82 participants entered meta-analysis. Pooled estimates favoured caffeine for agility and jump performance, while the sprint estimate was near zero; no clear between-phase difference was detected.
Limits and interpretation
The evidence base was small, menstrual phase was not always verified rigorously and subgroup comparisons were underpowered. Absence of a detected phase difference does not prove equivalent response across the cycle or establish an individual dose.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Caffeine and physical performance in female intermittent sport athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis considering menstrual cycle phase
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42253738DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1817134Full text at the sourceReader discussion
Discuss the evidence.
Ask a question, share a source or discuss the methods. Respectful disagreement is welcome. Every comment and reply is reviewed before publication.
Loading comments…