Mind over muscle: could a fake pill enhance Real-World athletic performance?

This study explores whether believing you've taken caffeine can improve physical performance in real-world sports settings. Healthy, physically active adults will be randomly assigned to receive caffeine, a placebo (starch capsule), or no treatment, then perform sport-specific exercise tests. Researchers will measure performance and heart rate to separate the drug's actual effects from those driven by expectation. The goal is to understand how the placebo effect works outside the lab and whether it can be harnessed to boost athletic and cognitive performance.