Caffeine has long been one of the most studied performance-enhancing (aka ergogenic) aids in sports science. But the vast majority of that research has been conducted on men. Of course… Does it hold up the same way for women? A new systematic review and meta-analysis is working to change that, taking a focused look at how caffeine affects athletic performance specifically in women who play intermittent sports, and whether the menstrual cycle plays any role in those effects.
About the study
The researchers set out to determine whether caffeine supplementation improves performance outcomes in female athletes competing in intermittent sports, and to explore (for the first time in a systematic way) whether those effects differ depending on where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.
Women’s sex hormones (like estrogen and progesterone) fluctuate in a relatively predictable pattern during the menstrual cycle. Estrogen peaks during the follicular phase, a time when many women feel more energized and strong. It’s also an anabolic hormone, which means it helps build muscle and bone. Progesterone, on the other hand, peaks during the luteal phase, and many women report feeling more fatigued during this window. Progesterone has been shown to have catabolic effects on protein metabolism (which means muscle protein breakdown could be higher during this time). Based on this, it’s reasonable to think that caffeine may impact the body differently across these phases.
For this analysis, researchers included 9 studies with a combined 118 female athletes across intermittent sports including handball, volleyball, and basketball. Six of those studies contributed data to the meta-analysis. Performance outcomes measured included vertical jump height, agility, and sprint speed. Caffeine doses across the included studies ranged from 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body mass, taken approximately 60 minutes before exercise.
Caffeine sharpened agility & explosive power
The meta-analysis found that caffeine supplementation significantly improved two of the three performance outcomes measured. Agility improved, and vertical jump height improved, both considered small-to-moderate effects. Sprint performance, however, showed no significant effect.
However, the non-significant sprint finding is still worth paying attention to. Sprinting is a highly anaerobic, fast-twitch-dominant effort, and the mechanisms through which caffeine typically helps (adenosine receptor blockade, improved neuromuscular signaling) may not translate as cleanly to maximal short-burst efforts as they do to agility and power tasks. It’s also possible that the limited number of studies and small sample sizes reduced the statistical power to detect a sprint effect, even if one exists.
What the follicular phase data actually tells us
Within-phase subgroup analyses suggested that agility improvements were more pronounced in trials conducted during the follicular phase (the first half of the cycle, when estrogen is rising). Luteal-phase effects were less consistent. This aligns with what research on women and muscle gains has also found — that the follicular phase may represent a window of heightened physical responsiveness for some women.
That said, the between-group comparison showed no statistically significant difference between phases, and the researchers were careful to note the limitations of this data. None of the 9 included studies verified menstrual cycle phase through hormonal testing. All of them relied on calendar tracking or self-reported cycle apps. That’s a meaningful methodological gap. Without confirmed hormonal status, it’s difficult to draw firm conclusions about phase-specific effects. The researchers acknowledged that the evidence base is too small and too methodologically limited to support cycle-specific caffeine recommendations at this time.
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How women can use this information
The clearest takeaway from this review is that caffeine is a legitimate ergogenic aid for women in intermittent sports, particularly for agility and explosive power like vertical jump. For athletes in sports like basketball, volleyball, or handball, where quick directional changes and jump height matter, caffeine supplementation at the doses studied (3–6 mg/kg body mass, taken about 60 minutes before activity) appears to offer a real performance edge. That’s about 190–380 milligrams of caffeine for someone weighing 140 pounds — a decent amount, and one that may not mesh well with everyone’s tolerance.
As for cycle syncing caffeine intake, the current evidence doesn’t support firm recommendations about timing supplementation to a specific phase. Women who are curious about this can experiment with tracking their own responses across their cycle, but should do so with the understanding that the science isn’t there yet to say one phase is definitively better than another.
Takeaway
The fact that this review could only identify 9 eligible studies with 118 total participants speaks to how little research has been done on female athletes in this space. That gap is slowly closing, and studies like this one are an important step toward sports nutrition guidance that actually reflects women’s physiology.
If you’re looking for performance and recovery without that much caffeine, then consider a creatine supplement. Women swear by this one for building muscle and strength without the bloat.
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