ABSTRACT

Background: Caffeine consumption may adversely affect the performance of athletes in some sports.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine drink consumed before competitions by air pistol athletes on their heart rate, trigger squeeze times and shooting scores.

Methods: : In the study, caffeinated and caffeine-free measurements were applied on the same athletes. Following the evaluation, a total of 20 elite athletes, including 10 women with a mean age of 23.6±4.7 and 10 men with a mean age of 25.9±4.8 who had at least 2 years sports history, participated voluntarily in the study. The study was planned as a single blind. All athletes shot 10 times before both measurements. By random method, the athletes consumed Coffee with 3mg/kg caffeine or decaf coffee before the measurement. After 1 week, the same athletes were given coffee which was not given in the previous measurement before the measurement. A total of 80 shots were fired at 15, 30 and 60 minutes after both measurements. Following the evaluation, heart rates, trigger squeeze times and shooting scores of the athletes were recorded. Wilcoxon test to compare the differences between the measurements at two different times on the same group and Mann-Whitney U test to examine the differences in independent groups were used.

Results: When the differences between the measurements of all male and female athletes were examined, it was found that there was an increase in their heart rate and trigger squeeze times 15, 30 and 60 minutes after caffeinated coffee consumption, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Besides there was a significant decrease in 15, 30 and 60 minute shooting scores of female athletes, and 15 and 30 minute shooting scores of male athletes (p<0.05).

Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was observed that the use of caffeine had a negative effect on the performance of air pistol athletes. Therefore, it can be said that people interested in air pistol discipline should not consume coffee or caffeine-containing beverages within 1-2 hours before the competition, if they consume, their heart rate will increase and their aiming during shooting will be more difficult and trigger-squeezing times will be extended.

Keywords: Air pistol, Caffeine, Heart rate, Shooting