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Placebo Effect in Field-Based Physical Performance

NCT07742150 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 120

Last updated 2026-08-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study aims to investigate the placebo (PLA) effect on physical performance across different sports disciplines in real-world, field-based settings. The study investigates how participant expectations and beliefs regarding caffeine (CAF) intake influence physical performance and psychomotor function outside the controlled laboratory environment. Healthy, physically active adults (n = 120) from diverse sports backgrounds will be randomly assigned to receive caffeine, placebo, or no intervention. Participants will perform discipline-specific field exercise tests (e.g., running-based protocols or repeated sprint protocols) while physiological responses are monitored using wearable technology. Physical performance outcomes and psychomotor responses will be analyzed to evaluate the real-world impact of the placebo effect and to distinguish the pharmacological effects of caffeine from those driven by psychological expectations across different athletic settings.

Conditions

  • Physical Performance
  • Placebo Effect
  • Cognitive Performance

Interventions

DRUG

Caffeine (6mg/kg)

Anhydrous caffeine administered in an encapsulated form at a dosage of 6mg per kilogram of body mass, 30-60 minutes before the exercise protocol.

OTHER

Placebo (Starch capsule)

Corn starch administered in an identical encapsulated form as the active caffeine, 30-60 minutes before the exercise protocol.

OTHER

Sham (No Treatment)

Participants perform the same exercise protocols without any capsule or substance administration.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Poznan University of Physical Education

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Jakub Malik, PhD · Poznan University of Physical Education, Department of Sports Psychology

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
20 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-09-01
Primary Completion
2028-03-31
Completion
2029-03-31

Countries

  • Poland

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07742150 on ClinicalTrials.gov