Objective: Energy drinks are often used by athletes before competitions to enhance their performance. Resent research has pointed out that the performance effects of select ingredients have been studied in-dividually, but not in combination with caffeine. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of caffeine, anserine and elderberry on cognitive function and repeated sprint performance of athletes during a high-intensity exercise protocol. Methods: We employed a double-blind, randomized, counter balanced, and crossover design. Three types of supplements were tested: placebo, caffeine (220mg), and energy drink (220mg caffeine, 288mg anserine, 400 mg of elderberry, and 660 mg vitamins-minerals mixed). Twelve college athletes were recruited to complete repeated sprint tests on a cycle ergometer until they reached exhaustion and undertook a series of cognitive tasks during running. Results: Results showed that energy drink group significantly improved repeated sprint performance and showed a potential to attenuate certain aspects of cognitive fatigue. Conclusion: The multi-ingredient energy drink significantly elevated total power output and attenuated the exercise-induced decline in cognitive performance. It might be a better strategy for athletes to optimize physical performance and mitigate cognitive fatigue. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07104188?intr=NCT07104188%20&rank=1, identifier NCT07104188.
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