The effect of a short-term creatine supplementation on some of the anaerobic performance and sprint swimming records of female competitive swimmers

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of creatine supplementation on some of the anaerobic performance and sprint swimming records of 20 female competitive swimmers across 6 days training. The 17- to 26-year-olds were randomly assigned, in a doubleblind fashion, to either a creatine treatment group (CT) (n=10) or placebo control group (PC) (n=10). During the phase, the CT group ingested 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times each day. The PC group followed the same administration schedule but consumed a glucose placebo. All 20 athletes participated in a conditioning program focusing on swimming training. Measures were taken before administration of creatine began, and also at the conclusion of the study, of 1-repetition-maximum bench press capacity, and vertical jump (VJ) ability, 60 yard dash and swimming time for 25 and 50 m. For CT group, bench press and VJ results and 60 yard dash improved significantly during the study, though their swimming records improved but they were not significantly greater than among the PC group, p<0.05. Further, the PC group had not any significant difference. The findings suggest that creatine supplementation in conjunction with a good conditioning program can improve athletic performance in female competitive swimmers.