Effects of chronic caffeine intake and low-intensity exercise on skeletal muscle of Wistar rats.

Caffeine can affect muscle cell physiology and the inflammatory response during exercise. The purpose of this study was to analyse muscle damage markers and inflammatory cell infiltration into the soleus muscle of sedentary and exercised animals submitted to chronic caffeine intake. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into the following four groups (n = 8 per group): sedentary control (SCO); sedentary + caffeine (SCAF); trained control (TCO); and trained + caffeine (TCAF).