Trick caffeine way to training harder

Published on Sunday 5 September 2010 15:32

Tricking people into thinking they have been given caffeine before a workout actually makes them train harder, research out today suggests.

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant but very little research has been carried out into the physical and psychological effects of people thinking they have taken it. Now an expert from Coventry University has shown the powerful ways the mind can force the body to work harder.

Each of 12 cyclists drank 250ml of fluid containing artificial sweetener and then either caffeine or a placebo before the 30-second trial. Tests were car-ried out to measure power, heart rate and the build-up of lactic acid. The four cyclists who were told they would receive caffeine and were given caffeine showed the highest sprint power.