Effects of Caffeine and Creatine on Rugby Skill Performance During Sleep Deprivation
Author Information
Author(s): Christian J Cook, Blair T Crewther, Liam P Kilduff, Scott Drawer, Chris M Gaviglio
Primary Institution: UK Sport Council
Hypothesis
Does acute supplementation of caffeine or creatine mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation on rugby skill performance?
Conclusion
Acute sleep deprivation negatively impacts skill performance in elite athletes, but this can be improved with caffeine or creatine supplementation.
Supporting Evidence
- Sleep deprivation with placebo resulted in a significant fall in skill performance accuracy.
- Caffeine doses of 1 or 5 mg/kg did not lead to a fall in skill performance.
- Creatine administration at 50 or 100 mg/kg did not show significant performance deficits.
- Salivary testosterone trended higher with the 100 mg/kg creatine dose compared to placebo.
- Salivary cortisol was elevated with the 5 mg/kg dose of caffeine.
Takeaway
When athletes don't get enough sleep, they can perform worse at skills like passing a rugby ball, but taking caffeine or creatine can help them do better.
Methodology
Ten elite rugby players performed a rugby passing skill test under different sleep conditions and after taking either caffeine, creatine, or a placebo.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and the specific population of elite athletes.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small sample size of elite rugby players and focused only on a specific skill test.
Participant Demographics
Ten professional rugby backs, mean age 20 years, mean body weight 90 kg, mean height 1.81 m.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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