Low-Dose Caffeine Boosts Cognitive Function but Not Physical Performance in Fatigued Taekwondo Athletes: Insights from a Randomized Crossover Trial

Highlight

• Low-dose caffeine (200 mg) reduces cortical drowsiness reflected by decreased delta wave power shortly after ingestion in fatigued Taekwondo athletes.
• Caffeine enhances cognitive processing as demonstrated by increased P300 amplitude in auditory event-related potentials post fatigue induction.
• No significant caffeine-induced improvements were observed in sport-specific physical performance or physiological fatigue markers after combined mental and physical fatigue.
• Findings suggest caffeine’s primary beneficial effect post-fatigue lies in cognitive enhancement rather than physical performance amplification in combat sports.

Study Background and Disease Burden