Effects of ingested doses of caffeine on neuromuscular reflex response time in man.

To determine the effect of two doses of caffeine on a caudal (monosynaptic) reflex in humans, 30 subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The groups received one of the following doses of caffeine per kilogram body weight using a double blind, placebo controlled design: 6 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg or a placebo. All of the subjects were similarly caffeine naive and were instructed to fast eight hours, refrain from caffeine for 96 hours, and avoid strenuous exercise 48 hours prior to testing. At the pre-test and post-test all subjects were given three trials of the patellar ligament reflex. Following pre-testing, subjects ingested either the caffeine solutions or an inert solution. After a one hour absorption period, subjects were post-tested. Gain scores were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA among the three groups, and a Newman-Keuls multiple range test was used to compare the three groups. The analysis revealed a significant difference in the gain score of the 6 mg/kg group. The control group had a mean gain of 4.3 msec, the 3 mg/kg group had a mean gain of 11.5 msec, and the 6 mg/kg group had a mean gain of 23.8 msec. Although the 6 mg/kg group was significantly different than the other two groups, a visible but nonsignificant difference was found between the 6 mg and 3 mg groups and the 3 mg and 0 mg groups. It was concluded that a 6 mg/kg dose of caffeine significantly lengthens reflex time in college age students.