Biology of Sport
eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X
Biology of Sport
Current Issue Manuscripts accepted About the journal Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Archive Ethical standards and procedures Contact Instructions for authors Journal's Reviewers Special Information
Editorial System
Submit your Manuscript
SCImago Journal & Country Rank
Search
Editorial Policies
Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

Open access

without publication fees
1/2026
vol. 43
 
Share:
Send email
Share:
abstract:
Original paper

The impact of caffeine-mediated gut microbiota regulation on the athletic performance of football players

Jianlou Yang
1
,
Hongda Zhu
1
,
Bo Yao
2
,
Wei Zhang
3
,
Xiaodong Xing
1
,
Weibo Cheng
4
,
Chen Dong
1

  1. School of Sport Management, Shandong Sport University, Jinan 250102, Shandong, China
  2. Jinan Licheng No.2 High School, Shandong, China
  3. School of Sports Leisure, Shandong Sport University, Jinan 250102, Shandong, China
  4. School of Sports Science, Qufu Normal University, Jining 273165, Shandong, China
Biol Sport. 2026; 43: 115–125
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.153312
Online publish date: 2025/08/06
View full text Get citation
 
PlumX metrics:
Caffeine is widely utilized as an ergogenic aid in sports, yet its interaction with gut microbiot — a key modulator of metabolic and physiological processes — remains underexplored in athletic populations. This study aimed to investigate whether caffeine supplementation enhances the athletic performance of football players through gut microbiota regulation, thereby bridging the gap between caffeine’s ergogenic effects and microbial mediation mechanisms. A 7-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 32 male national-level football players. Participants were allocated to either a caffeine group (3 mg/kg body mass) or a placebo group. Performance assessments included agility tests, 30-m repeated sprints, technical dribbling tasks, and aerobic endurance evaluations. Fecal samples were analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing to assess microbial diversity and composition. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to evaluate the mediating role of gut microbiota. Caffeine supplementation significantly improved agility (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.1), sprint performance (p = 0.007, d = 0.7), and technical execution (p = 0.003, d = 0.7) compared to placebo. Gut microbiota alpha diversity (Chao1, Shannon) increased in the caffeine group (p < 0.05), with enrichment of Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Veillonella. SEM revealed that 33.3% of caffeine’s performance-enhancing effect was mediated by microbial diversity (β = 0.2, p = 0.01), while no direct caffeine-performance pathway was observed (p = 0.2). These findings demonstrate that caffeine enhances football-specific performance partially through gut microbiota modulation, emphasizing the microbiome’s role in translating nutritional interventions into athletic gains. Future research should explore long-term microbial adaptations and personalized strategies combining caffeine with microbiome targeted therapies.
keywords:

Caffeine, Gut microbiota, Athletic performance, Football players, Microbial diversity

  
Termedia
About us Contact
Copyright notice Privacy policy Advertising policy Contact us
Quick links
Journals Books eBooks Events
© 2026 Termedia Sp. z o.o.
Developed by Bentus.