Creatine monohydrate supplementation on lower-limb muscle power in Brazilian elite soccer players.

João G Claudino,Bruno Gualano,Alberto C Amadio,Fabiana Benatti,Vinícius Zanetti,Bruno Mezêncio,Sérgio Amaral,Hamilton Roschel,Julio C Serrão

doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-32

João G Claudino, Bruno Gualano + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-32

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Abstract

BackgroundStudies involving chronic creatine supplementation in elite soccer players are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on lower-limb muscle power in Brazilian elite soccer players (n = 14 males) during pre-season training.FindingsThis was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study. Brazilian professional elite soccer players participated in this study. During the pre-season (7 weeks), all the subjects underwent a standardized physical and specific soccer training. Prior to and after either creatine monohydrate or placebo supplementation, the lower-limb muscle power was measured by countermovement jump performance. The Jumping performance was compared between groups at baseline (p = 0.99). After the intervention, jumping performance was lower in the placebo group (percent change = - 0.7%; ES = - 0.3) than in the creatine group (percent change = + 2.4%; ES = + 0.1), but it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.23 for time x group interaction). Fisher’s exact test revealed that the proportion of subjects that experienced a reduction in jumping performance was significantly greater in the placebo group than in the creatine group (5 and 1, respectively; p = 0.05) after the training. The magnitude-based inferences demonstrated that placebo resulted in a possible negative effect (50%) in jumping performance, whereas creatine supplementation led to a very likely trivial effect (96%) in jumping performance in the creatine group.ConclusionsCreatine monohydrate supplementation prevented the decrement in lower-limb muscle power in elite soccer players during a pre-season progressive training.

Highlights

Studies involving chronic creatine supplementation in elite soccer players are scarce
Creatine monohydrate supplementation prevented the decrement in lower-limb muscle power in elite soccer players during a pre-season progressive training
Creatine supplementation for 7 days improved performance in a soccer-specific battery of tests, including a dribble test, a sprint-power test, an endurance test, and a vertical jump test [10]. Supporting these findings, it was shown that 6 days of creatine supplementation improved repeated sprint performance and jumping ability after an intermittent exercise test in highly trained soccer players [11]

Summary

Introduction

Studies involving chronic creatine supplementation in elite soccer players are scarce. Creatine supplementation for 7 days improved performance in a soccer-specific battery of tests, including a dribble test, a sprint-power test, an endurance test, and a vertical jump test [10]. Supporting these findings, it was shown that 6 days of creatine supplementation improved repeated sprint performance and jumping ability after an intermittent exercise test in highly trained soccer players [11]. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 study investigated the chronic effects of creatine supplementation along with training in soccer players [13] These authors showed that 13 weeks of creatine supplementation (2 × 7.5 g/d in the first week and 5 g/d throughout the rest of the protocol) improved muscle strength but not lean mass in collegiate female soccer players [13]

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