An ergogenic approach to enhancing performance in archery: the acute effects of caffeine

Background and Study Aim Ergogenic aids are widely used to enhance exercise performance and training adaptations. Among these, caffeine is recognized for its stimulatory effects on the central nervous system and neuromuscular function. Despite their widespread use, the relative effectiveness of such aids in improving performance in precision-based target sports such as archery remains a matter of practical interest. This study aimed to examine the effects of acute caffeine supplementation on shooting performance in university-level archers. Material and Methods A total of 12 licensed university archers (mean age: 22.92 +/- 2.11 years) participated in this study. A single-group pretest-posttest experimental design was employed. Participants completed two laboratory sessions separated by 72 hours under standardized conditions. In each session, anthropometric and hearing assessments were conducted. This was followed by the ingestion of 200 mg of caffeine. After a 60-minute absorption period, archers performed shooting tests at 18 meters. The protocol included practice trials and 10 sets of scoring shots. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA. These methods accounted for within-subject variability across sets. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results Posttest scores were consistently higher than pretest scores across most sets. Statistically significant improvements were observed in Sets 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10 (p < .05). Sets 1, 5, and 7 showed nonsignificant differences. Overall performance increased significantly from 6.61 +/- 1.20 to 8.33 +/- 0.39 (p < .001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.90; eta 2 = .50). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of condition (p < .001). No significant set or interaction effects were found. This indicates that performance improvements were consistent across shooting sets. Conclusions Acute caffeine supplementation was associated with improved shooting performance in university-level archers. The findings suggest that caffeine may have potential as an ergogenic aid in precision-oriented sports requiring sustained attention and performance consistency. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations. These include the absence of a control condition and the small sample size. Further randomized placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm and extend these findings.