Abstract
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of 16 weeks of a low dose of magnesium creatine chelate supplementation on repeated sprint ability test (RAST) results in elite soccer players. Materials: Twenty well-trained soccer players participated in the study. The players were divided randomly into two groups: the supplemented group (SG = 10) and placebo group (PG = 10). Out of the 20 subjects selected for the study, 16 (SG = 8, PG = 8) completed the entire experiment. The SG ingested a single dose of 5500 mg of magnesium creatine chelate (MgCr-C), in 4 capsules per day, which was 0.07 g/kg/d. The PG received an identical 4 capsules containing corn starch. Before and after the study, the RAST was performed. In the RAST, total time (TT), first and sixth 35 m sprint length (s), average power (AP) and max power (MP) were measured. Additionally, before and after the test, lactate LA (mmol/L) and acid–base equilibrium pH (-log(H+)), bicarbonates HCO3− (mmol/L) were evaluated. Also, in serum at rest, creatinine (mg/dL) concentration was measured. Results: After the study, significantly better results in TT, AP and MP were observed in the SG. No significant changes in the RAST results were observed in the PG. After the study, significant changes in the first 35 m sprint, as well as the sixth 35 m sprint results were registered in the SG, while insignificant changes occurred in the PG. A significantly higher creatinine concentration was observed. Also, a higher post-RAST concentration of LA, HCO3− and lower values of pH were observed in April, May and June compared with baseline values. Conclusions: The long timeframe, i.e., 16 weeks, of the low dose of magnesium creatine chelate supplementation improved the RAST results in the SG. Despite the long period of MgCr-C supplementation, in the end of the study, the creatinine level in the SG reached higher but still reference values.
Highlights
Creatine (Cr) is one of the most often used supplements by competitive athletes [1,2,3]
Numerous studies have shown that oral creatine supplementation with doses of 20–25 g/d for 5–7 days followed by a maintenance dose of 4–5 g/g for several weeks increases intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration by stimulating phosphagen metabolism [2,3,4,5]
We evaluated the influence of 16 weeks of magnesium chelate creatine supplementation on repeated sprint ability test (RAST) results in elite soccer players
Summary
Creatine (Cr) is one of the most often used supplements by competitive athletes [1,2,3]. Numerous studies have shown that oral creatine supplementation with doses of 20–25 g/d for 5–7 days followed by a maintenance dose of 4–5 g/g for several weeks increases intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration by stimulating phosphagen metabolism [2,3,4,5]. These metabolic and training adaptations may explain the significant improvements in performance during high-intensity continuous exercise, as in prolonged sprints (400 m dash), or short lasting (5–10 m) repeated bouts of exercise, such as in team sport games or combat sports [6,7,8].
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