Table 3 Summary of studies that explored the effects of caffeine on exercise performance at altitude

Berglund et al. 1982 [370]

Well-trained cross-country skiers (n = 14)

• 6 mg/kg caffeine

• Placebo

*↑ 21 km TT 2900 m above sea level

Fulco et al. 1994 [371]

Young adult cyclists (n = 8)

• 4 mg/kg caffeine

• Placebo

*↑ Time to exhaustion at 80% of their altitude-specific VO2max at 4300 m above sea level

Stadheim et al. 2015 [211]

Male sub-elite cross-country skiers (n = 13)

• 4.5 mg/kg caffeine

• Placebo

*↑ Double-poling time to task failure at 2000 m above sea level

Smirmaul et al. 2017 [372]

Adult male volunteers (n = 7)

• 4.0 mg/kg caffeine

• Placebo

*↑ Time to exhaustion during cycling by 12%