doi:10.1016/j.scispo.2023.03.008engLozano Berges, GabrielPantoja, PabloMoradell-Fernández, AnaMatute-Llorente, ÁngelGómez-Bruton, AlejandroDoes caffeine supplementation improve physical performance of elite ice hockey players?: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, cross-over trialART-2023-136320Objectives Although the positive effects of caffeine supplementation on individual and team-sports have been widely described, the literature evaluating the effect of caffeine supplementation on athletic performance in ice hockey players is almost non-existent. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acute caffeine ingestion (3 mg/kg body mass). Equipment and methods Thirteen elite adult ice hockey male players participated in this double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, placebo-controlled crossover trial. A 35-m sprint, an agility test (Weave agility-slalom with puck), and a reaction test were performed twice in two separate days. On both occasions players ingested 330 ml of water with lemon isotonic drink (86 kcal/19 g of carbohydrates). On one of the days the drink included 3 mg/kg body mass of anhydrous caffeine. The randomization was performed by a researcher who was not involved in the register of main outcomes. Results No differences were found between the placebo and the caffeine condition for the 35-m sprint (4.223 vs. 4.188 s respectively, P = 0.516), Weave agility test (22.492 vs. 22.341 s respectively, P = 0.534) and reaction test (4.869 vs. 4.837 s respectively, P = 0.570). When analyzing individual results, three players showed improvements in the 35-m sprint while two showed decreases in performance after ingesting caffeine. Caffeine consumption did not improve athletic performance in ice hockey players.2023http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/13002910.1016/j.scispo.2023.03.008http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/130029oai:zaguan.unizar.es:130029Science and Sports 39, 1 (2023), 117-123by-nc-ndhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess