Effects of Caffeine Intake on Exercise Performance in Basketball Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Why It Matters

The findings give coaches and sports nutritionists evidence‑based guidance on caffeine dosing, highlighting its utility for physical output but limited impact on technical shooting performance.

Key Takeaways

• Low‑dose caffeine (2.3‑3 mg/kg) improves sprint, jump, agility.
• No significant effect on free‑throw, three‑point, or dribbling speed.
• Overall game performance modestly enhanced (SMD = 0.25).
• Perceived muscle endurance and power increase markedly with caffeine.
• Moderate doses (>3 mg/kg) may be needed for skill improvements.

Pulse Analysis

Caffeine remains one of the most studied ergogenic aids, yet its role in team sports like basketball has been less clear than in endurance disciplines. This systematic review, registered with PROSPERO, pooled data from 18 randomized, blinded crossover trials to isolate caffeine’s impact on both sport‑specific skills and broader physical capacities. By focusing on standardized mean differences, the analysis provides a nuanced picture: while low‑dose caffeine reliably speeds linear and repeated sprints, boosts single‑jump height, and sharpens agility, it does not translate into measurable gains in free‑throw, three‑point, or dribbling performance. The modest uplift in overall game‑performance indices suggests that caffeine’s benefits may stem from enhanced decision‑making, reduced perceived effort, and greater motor‑unit recruitment rather than pure technical precision.

The magnitude of the physical improvements—sprint speed reductions (SMD = ‑0.27), repeated‑sprint gains (SMD = ‑0.45), and a small jump height increase (SMD = 0.15)—aligns with broader sport‑nutrition literature that attributes caffeine’s effects to central nervous system arousal and peripheral muscle contractility. However, the lack of skill enhancement at doses of 2.3‑3 mg·kg⁻¹ points to a dose‑response ceiling for technical tasks, possibly because fine motor control and shooting accuracy are more resistant to the stimulant’s neuromuscular benefits. Studies employing higher doses (>3 mg·kg⁻¹) hinted at larger effect sizes, implying that moderate caffeine intake could be necessary to affect basketball‑specific actions without provoking adverse side effects.

For practitioners, the evidence supports using low‑to‑moderate caffeine supplementation in the hour before training or competition to sharpen sprinting, jumping, and agility—key components of the sport’s high‑intensity bursts. Athletes seeking improvements in shooting accuracy should consider individualized dosing strategies, potentially exceeding 3 mg·kg⁻¹, while monitoring tolerance and habitual caffeine consumption. Future research should expand female representation, explore menstrual‑phase influences, and conduct more field‑based trials during actual games to validate these laboratory findings. By aligning caffeine protocols with the specific performance demands of basketball, teams can leverage a well‑established stimulant to gain a competitive edge.