Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance.

What this study found

Creatine supplementation improved body composition, lifting performance, and sprint performance compared with control, with no reported adverse clinical events. Total body weight increased 2.42 ± 1.4 kg in the creatine group versus 0.85 ± 2.2 kg in control, and fat/bone-free mass increased 2.43 ± 1.4 kg versus 1.33 ± 1.1 kg. Bench press lifting volume rose by 225 ± 246 kg versus -5 ± 134 kg in control (P = 0.002), and the sum of bench press, squat, and power clean lifting volume increased 1,558 ± 645 kg versus 1,105 ± 429 kg (P = 0.05). Sprint performance favored creatine with a significant…

Study & population

Controlled intervention in well-trained NCAA Division I football players during an off-season resistance and agility training program.

Intervention

The active arm received 15.75 g/day of creatine monohydrate orally for 28 days, divided into three daily intakes taken with morning, mid-day, and evening meals and mixed in about 0.25 L of water.

Key limitation

Small, short 28-day study in a narrow population of well-trained male NCAA Division I football players, which limits generalizability.

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