Introduction: Beta-alanine and caffeine are widely used ergogenic aids; however, evidence regarding their combined effects on basketball performance is limited. This study investigated the effects of beta-alanine, caffeine, and their combination on physical performance in male basketball players.

Methods: Ten male basketball players completed a randomized crossover study involving four conditions: caffeine, beta-alanine, caffeine plus beta-alanine, and placebo. Supplements were consumed 30 min before testing. Performance assessments included agility, sprint speed, upper-body power, muscular endurance, anaerobic power indices, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results: Significant differences were observed among interventions (p < 0.05). Compared with placebo, caffeine significantly improved agility (p = 0.001), sprint speed (p = 0.004), upper-body power (p = 0.032), muscular endurance (p < 0.001), and peak anaerobic power (p = 0.015), while reducing RPE (p < 0.001). Beta-alanine significantly improved upper-body power (p = 0.028) and peak anaerobic power (p = 0.003), and reduced RPE (p = 0.037). The combined supplementation significantly improved agility (p = 0.002), upper-body power (p = 0.005), muscular endurance (p < 0.001), and peak anaerobic power (p < 0.001), while also decreasing RPE (p < 0.001) compared with placebo.

Conclusion: Acute caffeine supplementation, alone or combined with beta-alanine, improved several measures of anaerobic performance and reduced perceived exertion in male basketball players. Beta-alanine alone produced more limited effects. These findings suggest that caffeine may play a greater role in enhancing acute basketball-related performance.