2025 Early-career Researchers talks: Elsa Greed – Caffeine, Brain-Muscle Communication, and Healthy Ageing: Insights from Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

Elsa Greed, University of Birmingham

This talk explores whether caffeine, a widely consumed and accessible nutritional compound, can mitigate age-related declines in strength and fatigue resistance. It focuses on deterioration of the corticospinal tract, a key neural pathway for voluntary movement, which contributes to reduced motor control, increased fatigue, and loss of independence with ageing. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation and electromyography in younger and older adults, the research shows that caffeine enhances corticospinal excitability, extends time to fatigue, and improves strength, with particularly pronounced benefits in older adults. The talk also discusses potential mechanisms, including caffeine’s ability to counteract age-related adenosine accumulation and restore neural excitability, and outlines ongoing work to identify where in the neuromuscular system these effects are strongest to inform simple, evidence-based strategies to support healthy ageing.

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