A new study suggests that a caffeine placebo can provide a boost in cycling performance. In the study, researchers assembled a group of six well-trained male cyclists who each rode a 10km time trial after receiving what they believed was a 0mg (placebo), 4.5mg, or 9mg dose of caffeine. All doses were in fact a 0mg placebo. After riding two baseline time-trials, cyclists who thought they had taken a placebo dose, showed a 1.3% decrease in power output, while cyclists who believed they had been given a non-placebo dose showed a power increase of 1.3% at 4.5mg, and 3.1% at 9mg.

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