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Placebo Effect on Cycling Performance: Laboratory Crossover Study
Sponsor: Poznan University of Physical Education
Summary
This study aims to determine the impact of the placebo (PLA) effect on physical and cognitive performance in a controlled laboratory setting. The study investigates how expectations and beliefs about substance intake (caffeine vs. placebo) interact with actual consumption to influence performance and physiological stress markers. Healthy adults (n = 80) will participate in four testing sessions using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. Physiological stress markers (cortisol and alpha-amylase), heart rate, and performance metrics will be monitored during a standardized cycling exercise protocol. This phase provides the dense mechanistic data required to refine a mathematical model of the placebo effect, offering insights into how individual personality traits and cognitive anchoring influence psychophysiological potential.
Official title: The Impact of Expectations on Physical Performance and Psychophysiological Potential: a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Crossover Study on the Placebo Effect in the Context of Caffeine Supplementation
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
20 Years - 30 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
80
Start Date
2026-10-01
Completion Date
2029-03-31
Last Updated
2026-08-05
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Interventions
Caffeine (6mg/kg)
Anhydrous caffeine administered in an encapsulated form at a dosage of 6 mg per kilogram of body mass, 60 minutes before the exercise protocol.
Placebo (Starch capsule)
Corn starch administered in an identical encapsulated form as the active caffeine, 60 minutes prior to the laboratory exercise protocol.
Locations (1)
Poznan University of Physical Education
Poznan, Wielkopolska, Poland