Discussion
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The present study showed that consuming a low dose of CAF and listening to music during warm-up sessions improved physical performance in all taekwondo-specific tests compared to the other conditions. Furthermore, the CAF+M condition resulted in more positive psychological responses (i.e., higher PACES, FAS and FS scores) and lower RPE than the other conditions. The results of the present study supported our hypothesis.Since studies about the acute combined effects of CAF and music is currently lacking, it seems difficult to compare our findings with those previously reported. However, regarding the effects of CAF and music in separate use, our results support previous studies [Considering the psychological responses, PACES, FS and FAS scores were higher during CAF+M compared to other conditions. These results could be comparable to those reported in previous studies [It is well known that the ergogenic potential of CAF is established by its direct action on the central nervous system, leading to reduce subjective exhaustion [The effect of CAF was reported to be minimized in highly trained subjects [While the present study resulted in novel approach able to enhance taekwondo athletes’ performance, some limitations should be acknowledged. The findings from this study are specific to taekwondo male athletes and should be taken with caution for other sports modalities as well for female athletes. Moreover, the tests used are specific and could mimic the competition demands, but they did not inform us about the effects of this combination in a real competition setting to investigate the technical-tactical behaviors.