Caffeine's Impact On Team Sports

Caffeine has been shown to help a variety of athletes improve their performance. But performing in an endurance cycling event and on the rugby pitch are very different things. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research investigates caffeine’s impact during match play.
 
One consecutive days, 16 female players on the Spanish national rugby sevens team played in a friendly tournament. On both occasions, they consumed 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight or a placebo an hour before the game began. Compared to the placebo condition, caffeine increased the number of body impact which suggests a higher rate of engagement.