No difference was found between the two experimental conditions (PLA and CAF) for the VL, RF, Torin 1 purchase VM and QF muscles. Thus, no significant group main effect or group by moment interaction was identified (P > 0.05). There was a progressive increase in the RPE during the test in both groups, without any statistically significant differences between them (P > 0.05). Only a significant distance main effect was identified for HR and RPE (P < 0.001). No statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) was detected in the RPE increase rate between groups (PLA = 0.88 points.km−1 vs. CAF = 0.95 points.km−1). Mood changes before and after the 20-km time trials are illustrated
in Figure 3. Figure 2 Pattern of EMG activity of the VL, RF, VM and QF muscles during
the 20-km time-trial test under the conditions CAF (n = 12) and PLA (n = 12). No main effect or group vs. time interaction was identified (P > 0.05). Figure 3 Variation delta of mood (BRUMSpost – BRUMSpre) in their various domains in the 20-km time-trial (n = 13). Discussion The main result obtained in this study was that the oral administration of 6 mg.kg−1 of body mass of CAF 60 min before the effort had no effect on the performance of cyclists in the 20-km time trial. The results also indicated that the use of CAF did not promote any changes CYC202 in pacing strategy during the test or attenuation of RPE. Although our results are interesting, comparisons with previous studies are really very difficult due to differences in the protocols. In a time trial study performed by McNaughton et al. [16], although Paclitaxel the distance was similar to that used here, the authors included some uphill stretches, which made the test harder, naturally forcing their athletes to assume different pacing strategies. Additionally, their subjects ingested CAF in the form of a low-kilojoule flavored drink, and the authors did not mention whether the subjects were able to distinguish between the drink containing CAF or PLA. In another study conducted by Ivy et al. [15], CAF was used in combination with other substances (click here labeled as an “energy drink”) to compete a fixed amount
of work on a cycle ergometer in significantly less time than after consuming a placebo. Thus, the results of these studies cannot be compared with our results. The stimulatory effect of CAF on the central nervous system appears not only to modify the parameters of motivation, but also to attenuate RPE, enabling cyclists to sustain the discomfort caused by exercise. The magnitude of this effect has been reported to be close to 6% during constant load exercise, increasing time to exhaustion [10]. However, this effect was not observed in this study. Our results showed that RPE showed no differences when the two trial conditions were compared. The RPE increase rate verified by the slope on the regression plot for RPE values throughout the test, showed no significant differences between conditions (0.88 points.km−1 vs.