Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation Combined with Complex Training on Muscle Damage and Sport Performance

Abstract

Creatine supplementation has an ergogenic effect in an acute complex training bout, but the benefits of chronic creatine supplementation during long-term complex training remain unknown. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of 4-week complex training combined with creatine supplementation on sport performances and muscle damage biomarkers. Thirty explosive athletes were assigned to the creatine or placebo group, which consumed 20 g of creatine or carboxymethyl cellulose, respectively, per day for 6 days followed by 2 g of the supplements until the end of the study. After 6 days of supplementation, subjects performed tests of one repetition maximum (1-RM) strength of half squat and complex training bouts to determine the optimal individual post-activation potentiation time. Thereafter, all subjects performed a complex training programme consisting of six sets of 5-RM half squats and plyometric jumps 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Body composition, 30-m sprint and jump performances were assessed before and after the training period. Moreover, blood creatine kinase (CK) activity was analysed at the first and the last training bout. After the training, the 1-RM strength in the creatine group was significantly greater than in the placebo group (p < 0.05). CK activity after the complex training bout in the creatine group was significantly reduced compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). No differences were noted for other variables. This study concluded that creatine supplementation combined with complex training improved maximal muscular strength and reduced muscle damage during training.

Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health

“…This conclusion continues to be supported by research findings over the past 2 years. For example, Wang et al (2018) reported that creatine supplementation combined with exercise training for 4 weeks improved maximal muscular strength and reduced exercise-associated muscle damage in adults. Furthermore, oral consumption of creatine electrolyte improved overall and repeated short duration sprint cycling performance (Crisafulli et al 2018), as well as anaerobic power and strength in athletes (Hummer et al 2019).…”

Effects of Creatine Monohydrate to Strength and Body Composition

“…Remaining seven papers (Table 1) met the criterion that it was issued in period 2018-2020. In four papers the research was performed on around 133 male participants istraživanja (Amirsasan, Nabilpour, Pourraze, Curby, 2018;Wang, Fang, Lee, & Yang, 2018;Vilar-Neto et al, 2018;Bjelica et al, 2020), in two papers research participants were 54 women. In the paper by Mills et al (2020) it was combination of male and female participants.…”

“…In majority of studies it was suggested that creatine supplementation can significantly amplify strength, power, performances such as sprint or activities where a large number of muscle groups is engaged (Williams & Branch, 1998;Kraemer & Volek, 1999;Kreider, 1999;Hultman, Soderlund, Timmons, Cederblad, & Greenhaff, 1996;Greenhaff, 1997). Other authors mentioned significantly longer duration of experimental treatment, specifically in case of Wang et al (2018)…”

Creatine Supplementation Effect on Recovery Following Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…All studies used a randomized parallel design, and all of them had the design of double-blind except two studies (36,37). The effect of creatine on CK and LDH concentration together was examined in 5 studies (29,(38)(39)(40)(41) and 4 studies only reported CK (30,31,37,42).…”

“…We focused on results reported immediately post exercise (<24 hours) and subsequent hours (24, 48, 72 and 96 hours). Eight trials in 4 studies reported <24 hours follow-up times (30,31,39,42); Five trials in 4 studies had 24 hours follow-up times (38)(39)(40)42); Seven trials in 6 studies reported 48 hours follow-up times (29,(37)(38)(39)(40)42); Four trials in 4 studies reported follow-ups at 72 hours after exercise (29,(38)(39)(40) and four trials in 4 studies reported follow-ups at 96 hours after exercise (37)(38)(39)(40). Table 2 reported the quality details of bias assessment.…”