title: Effect of caffeine on leg-muscle pain during intense cycling exercise: possible role of anxiety sensitivity.
abstract: This experiment examined the effect of a moderate dose of caffeine on perceptions of leg-muscle pain during a bout of high-intensity cycling exercise and the role of anxiety sensitivity in the hypoalgesic effect of caffeine on muscle pain during exercise. Sixteen college-age women ingested caffeine (5 mg/kg body weight) or a placebo and 1 hr later completed 30 min of cycling on an ergometer at 80% of peak aerobic capacity. The conditions were completed in a counterbalanced order, and perceptions of leg-muscle pain were recorded during the bouts of exercise. Caffeine resulted in a large reduction in leg-muscle pain-intensity ratings compared with placebo (d = -0.95), and the reduction in leg-muscle pain-intensity ratings was larger in those with lower anxiety-sensitivity scores than those with higher anxiety-sensitivity scores (d = -1.28 based on a difference in difference scores). The results support that caffeine ingestion has a large effect on reducing leg-muscle pain during high-intensity exercise, and the effect is moderated by anxiety sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana,IL 61820-3985, USA.
authors.forename: Rachael C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gliottoni
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Motl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine