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Carbohydrate mouth rinses with caffeine while dieting may improve performance and may lead to greater alertness before exercise.
ARTICLE OVERVIEW
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A carbohydrate mouthwash has been shown to improve performance in a few studies but not all studies.
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Caffeine and caffeine with carbohydrates mouthwash increased arousal before the cognitive function test.
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Caffeine and carbohydrate mouthwash improved repetitions in the bench press 40% muscular endurance test compared to the placebo
CAN A CAFFEINE/CARBOHYDRATE MOUTHWASH INCREASE 225 BENCH PRESS PERFORMANCE?
CARBOHYDRATE MOUTHWASH RINSE BENEFITS
When bodybuilders are getting ready for a show, there is a reduction in complex carbohydrates and fats while increasing protein to reduce body fat and preserve lean muscle mass (i.e., body re-composition). Reducing carbohydrates (i.e., lower carb diet) is often associated with reduced exercise performance with fewer reps being completed. A new line of research suggests that carbohydrate mouth rinsing with some simple carbohydrates (i.e., glucose) before exercise can positively affect performance and cognitive function during exercise without additional calories. (1, 2)
Carbohydrate Mouthwash Studies
Some studies have shown that carbohydrate mouth rinsing, in which a person puts a carbohydrate-sweetened beverage and swishes it around in their mouth for ten seconds and then spits it out, can improve resistance exercise performance and delay fatigue.(3-5) The effects of caffeine are a well-known performance enhancer that blocks adenosine receptors, increases Ca+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to enhance contractility, increases catecholamines, and enhances fat mobilization while sparing glycogen.(6-8)
The combination of caffeine and carbohydrate mouth rinsing has been found to increase performance by enhancing the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increasing brain activity related to reward and motor control. (9, 10) Both caffeine and carbohydrate can improve performance thru separate pathways which can provide a synergistic effect.
EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE, CARBOHYDRATE MOUTH RINSE, AND EXERCISE PERFORMANCE
A previous study found no beneficial effects of a carbohydrate (6%) and caffeine (1.2%) mouth rinse on strength and endurance exercise performance.(11) The study was performed only in men, but a new study investigated the study in both males and females. The study had 14 men and 13 females replicate the previous study and were assigned to one of four groups: 6% carbohydrate rinse, 2% caffeine rinse, a combination of carbohydrate and caffeine rinse, or a placebo.
The Study
The big issue was that the subjects were not regular caffeine drinkers, so we don’t know if the study results can apply to regular caffeine consumers. The amount of caffeine that stimulates performance in regular caffeine users is much higher than in those that are not regular consumers. The subjects were assigned a series of strength and muscle endurance tests in the squat and bench press. A combination of caffeine and carbohydrate mouth rinsing may boost power output as both are rapidly absorbed thru the oral cavity.
After a warm-up, participants completed a squat or bench press 1-RM test. Muscular endurance was tested with three sets of 40% of 1-RM repetitions to failure.
The mouth rinses consisted of 8 serial mouth rinses for ten seconds once a minute. After each mouth rinse, the solution was spat out. The study protocol is depicted below.
