The effects of acute chicory coffee consumption onexercise performance and metabolism

Coffee, one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, can influence energy metabolism and performance through its caffeine content and various phenolic compounds. Chicory coffee, being caffeine-free and rich in phenolics, may support these effects via anti-inflammatory and metabolic pathways. In this thesis, the acute effects of chicory coffee on carbohydrate, fat, and energy metabolism, as well as exercise performance, were investigated. The sample consisted of 22 healthy, moderately active men aged 18–25, and a single-blind, randomized, controlled crossover design was employed. Participants completed three trials—chicory coffee, arabica coffee, and control—at separate visits. At each visit, health status, dietary habits, demographic data, and body composition were recorded; the assigned beverage was consumed 45 minutes before a shuttle-run test, followed by a 3-day washout. Pre- and post-exercise measurements included lactate, glucose, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and perceived exertion (BORG scale); post-exercise venous blood was analyzed for lipoprotein lipase (LPL), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), adiponectin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). MANOVA revealed no significant effect of coffee type on exercise performance (p>0.05). The highest post-exercise blood glucose was observed following chicory coffee (p<0.001). Univariate ANOVA showed a significant group difference only for LPL levels (F(2,63)=3.445; p=0.038); IL-6 approached significance (p=0.094). Bonferroni comparisons indicated marginally higher LPL in the arabica trial (p=0.061) and marginally higher IL-6 in the control trial (p=0.140). In conclusion, while coffee type had limited direct impact on performance, arabica appeared to modulate lipid metabolism, and chicory coffee showed potential effects on inflammation and glucose metabolism.