Suplementação esportiva sem cafeína: análise da composição química e da influência do efeito placebo sobre o desempenho físico

Abstract

The consumption of pre-workout ergogenic aids has become established as a strategy for the acute optimization of physical performance. Traditionally, the effectiveness of these products is attributed to the presence of central nervous system stimulants. However, the indiscriminate use of these substances has been associated with significant toxicological risks, including epi- sodes of tachycardia and arrhythmias, especially among young individuals. Given this safety scenario, theexpansionofthemarketforstimulant-free(stim-free)formulationsraisesquestions regarding their actual effectiveness. The present study aimed to analyze the composition of these alternative formulations and investigate the influence of the psychobiological response on performance. The methodology consistedofanexploratoryliteraturereview. Itwasobservedthat, althoughtheinitialintention was to describe the chemical mechanisms of the placebo phenomenon, the current scientific literature prioritizes the analysis of clinical outcomes and experimental evidence. The results showed that the absence of stimulants is compensated by the action of cons- tituents such as creatine, beta-alanine, and L-citrulline, which are fundamental for energy resynthesis, vasodilation, and buffering of muscle acidosis. At the same time, experimental evi- denceindicatesthattheexpectationofefficacyiscapableofactivatingneurobiologicalpathways related to reward and pain modulation, thereby mimicking performance-enhancing effects. It is concluded that the efficacy of these formulations does not lie exclusively in pharmaco- logy, but in the combination of competent physiological substrates and applied sensory engine- ering strategies, validating the use of approaches that integrate metabolic and psychobiological processes.