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Study aim
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This study will compare the effects of different caffeine supplementation strategies on resistance training adaptations in low caffeine consumers.
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Design
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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase 3 study on 90 young men. The RAND function of Excel will be used for randomization.
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Settings and conduct
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Participants will be randomly assigned to CON, ESC, or PLA. Following a free-caffeine month, participants will complete 10 weeks of supervised resistance training (3 sessions/week; ~70–85% 1RM). The study will be conducted in Ankara, Turkey.
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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Inclusion criteria: recreationally resistance-trained men with 6 to 12 months of experience; aged between 18 and 25 years; low caffeine consumers. Exclusion criteria: suffering from pathology or injury, utilizing medications, supplements, or ergogenic aids, and missing > 5% of the training trials.
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Intervention groups
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Constant daily caffeine (CON) group: intake of 4 mg/kg/day caffeine; 2) gradually escalating dose caffeine (ESC) group: intake of 2 to 6 mg/kg/day caffeine across weeks; 3) Placebo (PLA) group: intake of 300 mg/day microcrystalline cellulose.
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Main outcome variables
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Maximal strength, muscular endurance, neuromuscular performance, muscle thickness, LBM, and FM will be assessed before and after the intervention.