Keen sportsmen and women might want to start using
commercial
coffee machines more often if they wish to perform better in
competition.
Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University monitored the
performance of different groups of athletes in football matches in
order to gauge whether what they eat and drink beforehand has an
effect, the Daily Mail reports.
Those who had a combination of caffeine and carbohydrates were
found to have done better than those who had none of these or just
caffeine.
This suggests that sportsmen and women might find a slice of
toast and a cup of coffee the perfect option before taking to the
track, the court or wherever else they ply they trade.
Professor Mayur Ranchordas, lead researcher on the study, said
the findings show a combination of caffeine and carbohydrates have
a "positive effect" on skill and performance.
"The combination of carbohydrate and caffeine allowed players to
sustain higher work intensity for the sprints, as well as improving
shooting accuracy and dribbling during simulated soccer activity,"
he added.
This comes after the University of Exeter postulated that
caffeinated drinks help people make more effort when
exercising.