Caffeine improves work durability and physical performance in anaerobic exercises among active adults in Tripoli Lebanon

BACKGROUND: People worldwide have a high intake of caffeine. Active adults are among the group of people who have always been interested in caffeine as an ergogenic aid. This study aims at examining the association between caffeine consumption and perceived performance (aerobic and anaerobic exercises) among active people attending different gyms in Tripoli, Lebanon. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 participants attending seven gyms in Tripoli. Participants were recruited using simple random sampling for a face-to-face individual interview. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data have been coded, entered, and analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of active people practicing both aerobic and anaerobic exercises is 63.6%. More than half of our sample (54.8%) has been working out for a duration of more than 6 months and 84.6% of respondents spend at least 30 min during their workouts. Caffeine consumption was popular in our sample with 92.2% indicating that they use caffeinated products. The findings of this study showed an association between anaerobic exercise and caffeine, perceived as physical performance enhancer and work durability enhancer. Yet no association was found between aerobic exercise and caffeine consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Perhaps, future research could focus on the safe doses of caffeine that could be given for anaerobic exercises to have an ergogenic effect. This could help us to build scientific guidelines for caffeine’s association with sports performance.