Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41809105›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in nutrition2026

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the acute effects of caffeine on sport-specific skills, physical performance, and physiological function in female basketball players.

Zike Zhang, Mingyue Yin, Bopeng Qiu, Fanhao Meng, Bitai Wu, Yimin Wang, Zimao Cheng, Xiaolong Wang, Youheng Wang, Zhe Lu and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Zike ZhangSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Mingyue YinSchool of Competitive Sports, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Bopeng QiuDivision of Sports Science & Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Fanhao MengSchool of Strength and Conditioning Training, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
Bitai WuSchool of Physical Education, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yimin WangSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Zimao ChengSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Xiaolong WangSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Youheng WangSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Zhe LuSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Yunxiang SunSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Jiali LaiSchool of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Previous original research and meta-analyses have shown that caffeine enhances performance in basketball. However, most studies on caffeine's effects in basketball have focused on male or mixed-gender samples, and there is currently no meta-analysis specifically on caffeine's impact on female basketball performance. This study aimed to synthesize current evidence to examine the effects of caffeine supplementation on multidimensional performance outcomes in female basketball players. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in May 2025 across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and EBSCO. Randomized crossover trials examining the effects of caffeine intake on performance in female basketball players were included. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the PEDro scale and the RoB 2 tool, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, demonstrating overall high methodological quality and low risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed that, in female basketball players, caffeine intake may have a moderate effect on power output, whereas it did not produce statistically significant effects on sport-specific skills (shooting accuracy and dribble sprint performance), physical performance (jump height, agility, off-ball sprinting, and anaerobic capacity), or physiological function (perceived fatigue and physiological/biochemical markers) in female basketball players. Caffeine consumption was, however, associated with potential adverse effects, including insomnia, tachycardia, and headache. Although statistical significance was not reached for several outcomes, moderate effect sizes were observed for jump height ( Conclusion: Across the included studies, which examined caffeine doses ranging from 2.1 to 9 mg/kg this review found no statistically significant effects on most performance outcomes in female basketball players, although a significant pooled effect was observed for power output. However, effect sizes varied across performance measures and may be modulated by menstrual cycle-related physiological factors. Given the intermittent demands of basketball and the limited sample sizes of available studies, further research with larger cohorts and more rigorous study designs is warranted. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, PROSPERO: CRD420251025291.

Indexed as

basketballcaffeineergogenic aidsfemale athletessports performance

Identifiers

PMID41809105
PMCPMC12968231

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.