Conclusions
The present study showed that low doses of caffeine ingestion improved both agility and kicking performances of young taekwondo athletes. Moreover, the ergogenic potential of CAF appeared to be related to sex and competitive level, with greater benefits in elite than sub-elite for females and males (only kicking performance tests) and in males compared with females for both elite and sub-elite levels. In addition, caffeine supplementation was able to reduce s-RPE more than CON and PLA conditions in elite athletes. These findings suggest that low-dose CAF supplementation may be used by both male and female athletes from different competitive levels to optimize training and cope with the demands of taekwondo. Future studies are warranted before true recommendations can be made for taekwondo athletes regarding the use of CAF.