Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive functions are essential in any form of exercise. Recently, interest has mounted in addressing the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive performance during sports practice. This review examines this relationship through a structured search of the databases Medline/ PubMed and Web of Science for relevant articles published in English from August 1999 to March 2020. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were defined according to the PICOS model. The identified records reported on randomized cross-over studies in which caffeine intake (as drinks, capsules, energy bars, or gum) was compared to an identical placebo situation. There were no filters on participants’ training level, gender, or age. For the systematic review, 13 studies examining the impacts of caffeine on objective measures of cognitive performance or selfreported cognitive performance were selected. Five of these studies were also subjected to metaanalysis. After pooling data in the meta-analysis, the significant impacts of caffeine only emerged on attention, accuracy, and speed. The results of the 13 studies, nevertheless, suggest that the intake of a low/moderate dose of caffeine before and/or during exercise can improve self-reported energy, mood, and cognitive functions, such as attention; it may also improve simple reaction time, choice reaction time, memory, or fatigue, however, this may depend on the research protocols

Effects of aerobic exercise on serum adiponectin concentrations in children and adolescents with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Serum adiponectin plays a vital role in various physiological processes, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-apoptotic and pro-angiogenic activities. Any abnormalities in its concentration can lead to adverse health outcomes, particularly in children and adolescents. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate factors influencing serum adiponectin concentrations in this population. The primary objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the impact of aerobic exercise on serum adiponectin concentrations in children and adolescents with obesity. To achieve this, a comprehensive literature search was conducted up to January 2023, utilising five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and Clinicaltrial.gov. The inclusion criteria involved studies that focused solely on aerobic exercise as an intervention for children and adolescents with obesity. Only studies that reported outcome indicators related to serum adiponectin were considered for analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) assessment tool, and statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software. This meta-analysis incorporated data from eight trials, involving a total of 272 subjects. The results demonstrated that aerobic training significantly increased serum adiponectin concentrations [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33 to 1.37; I2 = 0%; p = 0.001] in children and adolescents with obesity when compared to non-exercise controls. Furthermore, the magnitude of this effect appears to be influenced by the intensity of aerobic exercise, with higher-intensity aerobic exercise resulting in greater increases in serum adiponectin concentrations