Effects of caffeine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage : A systematic review
- 1Faculty of Sport Sciences, İnönü University, Malatya, Türkiye.
Abstract
Background:: Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) commonly occurs following unaccustomed or high-intensity exercise and is characterized by delayed-onset muscle soreness, elevated muscle damage biomarkers, and transient declines in muscle function. Caffeine, a widely consumed ergogenic aid, has been proposed to mitigate these adverse effects; however, the evidence across studies remains equivocal. This systematic review aimed to synthesize findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of caffeine supplementation on markers of EIMD.
Methods:: Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, supplemented by citation tracking. RCTs published between 2005 and 2025 that included human participants and reported direct or indirect indicators of EIMD were eligible. Fifteen RCTs (n = 222) were included and assessed for methodological quality using the PEDro scale.
Results:: Caffeine doses ranged from 3 to 6 mg/kg. Among the 6 studies assessing delayed-onset muscle soreness, 4 reported significant reductions in perceived soreness within 24 to 48 hours post-exercise, whereas 2 found no effect or adverse responses. Eleven studies examined biochemical markers; most detected no significant differences between caffeine and placebo, while 2 observed higher creatine kinase levels in the caffeine group. Five studies evaluated functional performance; some indicated attenuation of decrements in maximal voluntary isometric contraction or isokinetic torque, although results were inconsistent.
Conclusion:: Caffeine supplementation may transiently reduce subjective muscle soreness and, under certain conditions, help preserve muscle function following EIMD, but its effects on biochemical markers are inconsistent. The overall efficacy appears to depend on factors such as exercise modality, dosage, timing, and inter-individual variability. Larger, well-controlled RCTs with standardized protocols are needed to clarify caffeine’s role in muscle damage and recovery.
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BibTeX
@article{mercan2026effects,
title = {{Effects of caffeine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage : A systematic review}},
author = {Süleyman Mercan and Armağan Şahin Kafkas and Ilgın Ali Coşkun and Muhammed Emin Kafkas},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051196},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727268},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of caffeine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage : A systematic review
AU - Süleyman Mercan
AU - Armağan Şahin Kafkas
AU - Ilgın Ali Coşkun
AU - Muhammed Emin Kafkas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051196
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727268
AB - Background:: Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) commonly occurs following unaccustomed or high-intensity exercise and is characterized by delayed-onset muscle soreness, elevated muscle damage biomarkers, and transient declines in muscle function. Caffeine, a widely consumed ergogenic aid, has been proposed to mitigate these adverse effects; however, the evidence across studies remains equivocal. This systematic review aimed to synthesize findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of caffeine supplementation on markers of EIMD. Methods:: Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, supplemented by citation tracking. RCTs published between 2005 and 2025 that included human participants and reported direct or indirect indicators of EIMD were eligible. Fifteen RCTs (n = 222) were included and assessed for methodological quality using the PEDro scale. Results:: Caffeine doses ranged from 3 to 6 mg/kg. Among the 6 studies assessing delayed-onset muscle soreness, 4 reported significant reductions in perceived soreness within 24 to 48 hours post-exercise, whereas 2 found no effect or adverse responses. Eleven studies examined biochemical markers; most detected no significant differences between caffeine and placebo, while 2 observed higher creatine kinase levels in the caffeine group. Five studies evaluated functional performance; some indicated attenuation of decrements in maximal voluntary isometric contraction or isokinetic torque, although results were inconsistent. Conclusion:: Caffeine supplementation may transiently reduce subjective muscle soreness and, under certain conditions, help preserve muscle function following EIMD, but its effects on biochemical markers are inconsistent. The overall efficacy appears to depend on factors such as exercise modality, dosage, timing, and inter-individual variability. Larger, well-controlled RCTs with standardized protocols are needed to clarify caffeine’s role in muscle damage and recovery.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -