Caffeine continues to occupy a prominent role in any discussion of the benefits and limitations of dietary supplement use in sport. What is the current evidence for and against the use of caffeine by athletes in competition?
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Assignment
This assignment will offer an opportunity to study in depth a topic where there is currently some controversy. An important, and often under-played, skill in sports nutrition is the ability to assess the available evidence and to use this as the basis for communication with athletes and coaches. This can be particularly difficult in controversial areas where loud voices, strong opinions and powerful commercial motives all influence the debate, against a background of inadequate data.
It is suggested that you begin, with some general reading in the area before developing a literature search strategy. Allow ample time to conduct your literature search and retrieve relevant information. You should be aware of what the popular media are saying, but you should adopt an evidence-based approach and rely on primary sources of information published in the scientific literature: do not trust others to interpret these correctly.
The format of your assignment should involve:
• Your review of the chosen topic and the relevant published literature. This should include an assessment of the strength of the underpinning science. The length of this section should not exceed 1500 words. You will need skill to compress your review to this length while maintaining a comprehensive overview. A clear statement of your conclusion should be included. You should show the word count at the end of this section.
• A brief (200-400 words) summary of your literature search strategy and the steps taken to ensure that you achieved a comprehensive overview of the available information. You should show the word count at the end of this section.
Your list of references (no limit, but it might be reasonable not to exceed about 20 references).
Topic
Caffeine continues to occupy a prominent role in any discussion of the benefits and limitations of dietary supplement use in sport. What is the current evidence for and against the use of caffeine by athletes in competition?
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