Introduction: Listening to self-selected motivational music (SSMM) during warm-ups and caffeine (CAF) intake before exercise (Bougrine, Ammar, Salem, Trabelsi, Jahrami, et al., 2024; Bougrine, Ammar, Salem, Trabelsi, Żmijewski, et al., 2024) have independently been shown to enhance athletic performance among female athletes. However, the combined effects of these strategies are not well understood within this population. This study investigated the influence of SSMM during warm-up, pre-exercise CAF intake independently, and the combination of both on the high-intensity, short-duration performance of female athletes.

Methods: Seventeen female handball players (age: 16.7 ± 0.4 years) participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, performing a series of tests under four conditions: (i) Placebo (PLA) with no interventions, (ii) music and placebo (MUS), (iii) CAF intake only, and (iv) a combination of music and CAF (MUS + CAF). Capsules containing 6 mg·kg−1 of CAF or cellulose (PLA) were ingested 60 minutes before testing, accompanied by or without SSMM during a standardized 10-minute warm-up. Tests included the countermovement jump (CMJ), modified agility T-test (MAT), repeated sprint ability (RSA) test, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and monitoring of CAF side effects questionnaire.

Results: Results showed that MUS (p > 0.05; p < 0.01; p < 0.01; p < 0.001 respectively), CAF (all p < 0.001), and MUS + CAF (all p < 0.01 respectively) conditions significantly outperformed the PLA condition across CMJ, MAT, RSA Mean, and RSA Peak measures. While no significant differences were revealed between CAF and MUS + CAF condition, the best performances were observed during the MUS + CAF condition. RPE scores, however, remained consistent across conditions.

Discussion:

Our findings are in same line with some studies have examined the independently effects of music (Bentouati et al., 2023; Cotellessa et al., 2024), moderate CAF dosage (Bougrine, Ammar, Salem, Trabelsi, Jahrami, et al., 2024; Bougrine, Ammar, Salem, Trabelsi, Żmijewski, et al., 2024), as well as the combined effects of CAF and music on exercise performance (Delleli et al., 2024; Qiu et al., 2025).

Conclusion: These findings highlight that warm-up routines incorporating either SSMM or a moderate dose of CAF (6 mg·kg−1) improve anaerobic performance metrics (CMJ, MAT, and both Peak and total RSA performance). While both interventions are effective independenly, CAF intake demonstrates a more pronounced effect on performance. Notably, their combination provides a synergistic effect, making it the most effective strategy suggested for maximizing anaerobic performance in female athletes.

References

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Bougrine, H., Ammar, A., Salem, A., Trabelsi, K., Żmijewski, P., Jahrami, H., Chtourou, H., & Souissi, N. (2024). Effects of Different Caffeine Dosages on Maximal Physical Performance and Potential Side Effects in Low-Consumer Female Athletes: Morning vs. Evening Administration. Nutrients, 16(14), 2223. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142223

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