Caffeine alters thermoregulatory responses to exercise in the heat only in caffeine-habituated individuals: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

To assess the impact of acute caffeine ingestion on thermoregulatory responses during steady-state exercise under moderate heat stress conditions in caffeine-habituated and nonhabituated individuals. Twenty-eight participants [14 habituated (HAB) (4 females) and 14 nonhabituated (NHAB) (6 females)] cycled at a fixed metabolic heat production (7 W·kg^-1) for 60 min on two separate occasions 1 h after ingesting 1) 5 mg·kg^-1 caffeine (CAF) or 2) 5 mg·kg^-1 placebo (PLA), in a double-blinded, randomized, and counterbalanced order. Environmental conditions were 30.6 ± 0.9°C, 31 ± 1% relative humidity (RH). The end-exercise rise in esophageal temperature (ΔT_es) from baseline was greater with CAF in the HAB group (CAF = 0.88 ± 0.29°C, PLA = 0.62 ± 0.34°C, P < 0.001), but not in the NHAB group (CAF = 1.00 ± 0.42°C, PLA = 1.00 ± 0.39°C, P = 0.94). For a given change in mean body temperature, rises in % of maximum skin blood flow were attenuated with CAF on the forearm (P = 0.015) and back (P = 0.021) in the HAB group, but not in the NHAB group (P ≥ 0.65). Dry heat loss was similar in the HAB (CAF = 31 ± 5 W·m^-2, PLA = 33 ± 7 W·m^-2) and NHAB groups (CAF = 31 ± 3 W·m^-2, PLA 30 ± 4 W·m^-2) (P ≥ 0.37). There were no differences in whole body sweat losses in both groups (HAB: CAF = 0.59 ± 0.15 kg, PLA = 0.56 ± 0.17 kg, NHAB:CAF = 0.53 ± 0.19 kg, PLA 0.52 ± 0.19 kg) (P ≥ 0.32). As the potential for both dry and evaporative heat loss was uninhibited by caffeine, we suggest that the observed ΔT_es differences with CAF in the HAB group were due to alterations in internal heat distribution. Our findings support the common practice of participants abstaining from caffeine before participation in thermoregulatory research studies in compensable conditions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We provide empirical evidence that acute caffeine ingestion exerts a thermoregulatory effect during exercise in the heat in caffeine-habituated individuals but not in nonhabituated individuals. Specifically, caffeine habituation was associated with a greater rise in esophageal temperature with caffeine compared with placebo, which appears to be driven by a blunted skin blood flow response. In contrast, no thermoregulatory differences were observed with caffeine in nonhabituated individuals. Caffeine did not affect sweating responses during exercise in the heat.

Keywords: body temperature; heat balance; skin blood flow; sweating; thermosensitivity.