Mentor/s
Professor Beau Greer
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
The efficacy of caffeine on sports performance has been extensively researched during steady-state sports, but the influence on motor skills remain understudied. Purpose: The present pilot investigation sought to determine the effects of moderately low caffeine ingestion on softball pitching accuracy and ball velocity. Methods: In a single blind design, five (n=5) female club softball players were either given a pill containing either caffeine (3 mg/kg body weight) (CAFF) from a commercially available product or a non-stimulant carbohydrate-based powder (maltodextrin) as a placebo (PLAC).After an hour of rest and self-selected warm-up post-ingestion, participants performed a total of 30 pitches (20 fastballs, 10 curveballs); pitching velocity and accuracy (% pitches in the strike zone) were determined by a portable pitching analysis software. Paired t-tests were used to determine statistical significance, and Cohen’s dwas used to describe effect sizes. Results: Participants had significantly (p< 0.05) improved pitching velocity following the CAFF treatment (46.6 ±6.3 mph) as compared to the PLAC treatment (42.8 mph ±5.7 mph). There was not a significant difference (p> 0.05) between pitching accuracyfor the CAFF treatment(50.4±7.9%) and the PLAC treatment (43.6 ±7.1%). Conclusion: This evidence suggests that moderately low caffeine dosage may improve softball pitching velocity without deleterious effects on accuracy.
College and Major available
College of Health Professions, Exercise Science BS
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-28-2023 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-28-2023 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Effect of Caffeine Ingestion on Softball Pitching Velocity and Accuracy
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
The efficacy of caffeine on sports performance has been extensively researched during steady-state sports, but the influence on motor skills remain understudied. Purpose: The present pilot investigation sought to determine the effects of moderately low caffeine ingestion on softball pitching accuracy and ball velocity. Methods: In a single blind design, five (n=5) female club softball players were either given a pill containing either caffeine (3 mg/kg body weight) (CAFF) from a commercially available product or a non-stimulant carbohydrate-based powder (maltodextrin) as a placebo (PLAC).After an hour of rest and self-selected warm-up post-ingestion, participants performed a total of 30 pitches (20 fastballs, 10 curveballs); pitching velocity and accuracy (% pitches in the strike zone) were determined by a portable pitching analysis software. Paired t-tests were used to determine statistical significance, and Cohen’s dwas used to describe effect sizes. Results: Participants had significantly (p< 0.05) improved pitching velocity following the CAFF treatment (46.6 ±6.3 mph) as compared to the PLAC treatment (42.8 mph ±5.7 mph). There was not a significant difference (p> 0.05) between pitching accuracyfor the CAFF treatment(50.4±7.9%) and the PLAC treatment (43.6 ±7.1%). Conclusion: This evidence suggests that moderately low caffeine dosage may improve softball pitching velocity without deleterious effects on accuracy.
Students' Information
Rebecca Del Toro, Exercise Science Pre-PA, 2023