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BACKGROUND: Caffeine and hydration strategies are commonly used to optimize endurance performance and cognition, yet the combined effects of coffee with added electrolytes during exercise remain understudied.

PURPOSE: This pilot study examined the acute effects of Long Run Coffee (LRC; 200 mg caffeine with electrolytes) compared to decaffeinated coffee on exercise performance, cognition, and hydration in trained adults.

METHODS: Four trained runners (2 males, 2 females; mean age 22.4±5.9 yrs; body weight 71.3±5.0 kg; body fat 11.7±2.8%; VO₂max 60.0±10.8 ml/kg/min) completed three laboratory visits: (1) VO₂max testing and (2–3) two counterbalanced 10km treadmill time trials following ingestion of LRC or decaf coffee 60 minutes prior. Cognitive outcomes were assessed via the Stroop test (response time and accuracy) at baseline, pre-exercise, and post-exercise. Hydration status was determined via urine specific gravity (USG) at the same timepoints. Exercise measures included VO₂, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), and running speed collected every 2.5km. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA with paired post hoc comparisons.

RESULTS: A significant effect of time was observed for Stroop response time (p=0.026), with post-exercise response time faster overall. Post-run response time was faster with LRC than decaf (0.540 vs. 0.606 s), with a large within-subject effect size (Cohen's d = –1.14). Accuracy remained high (>28/30 trials), with a trend toward condition × time interaction (p=0.067) and moderate-to-large post-run effect size favoring LRC (d=0.78). HR increased significantly with distance (p=0.0016), confirming physiological progression across the run, but no condition differences were found in VO₂, RER, or speed with this sample size. Descriptively, LRC produced faster completion times (2738.5±439 s vs. 2809.8±396 s) and higher average VO₂ (51.1 vs. 45.8 ml/kg/min). USG decreased significantly over time (p=0.033), reflecting expected fluid shifts during exercise, but there were no differences between conditions at any timepoint.

CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that LRC may enhance cognitive performance post-exercise and modestly improve endurance running performance without impairing hydration status compared to decaf coffee. Although underpowered, these preliminary findings warrant further investigation in larger cohorts to clarify the ergogenic and neurocognitive benefits of caffeine-electrolyte coffee blends in endurance settings.