| CREATINE
SUPPLEMENTATION AND EXERCISE PERFORMANCE: A BRIEF REVIEW |
Stephen P. Bird  |
School of Human Movement Studies, Human Performance Laboratory, Charles
Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
| Received |
|
28 August 2003 |
| Accepted |
|
29
October 2003
|
| Published |
|
01 December 2003 |
©
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2003) 2, 123-132
Search
Google Scholar for Citing Articles
During the past decade, the nutritional supplement creatine monohydrate
has been gaining popularity exponentially. Introduced to the general public
in the early 1990s, shortly after the Barcelona Olympic Games, creatine
(Cr) has become one of the most widely used nutritional supplements or ergogenic
aids, with loading doses as high as 20-30 g·day-1 for 5-7 days typical among
athletes. This paper reviews the available research that has examined the
potential ergogenic value of creatine supplementation (CrS) on exercise
performance and training adaptations. Short-term CrS has been reported to
improve maximal power/strength, work performed during sets of maximal effort
muscle contractions, single-effort sprint performance, and work performed
during repetitive sprint performance. During training CrS has been reported
to promote significantly greater gains in strength, fat free mass, and exercise
performance primarily of high intensity tasks. However, not all studies
demonstrate a beneficial effect on exercise performance, as CrS does not
appear to be effective in improving running and swimming performance. CrS
appears to pose no serious health risks when taken at doses described in
the literature and may enhance exercise performance in individuals that
require maximal single effort and/or repetitive sprint bouts.
KEY WORDS: Creatine supplementation, ergogenic aid, exercise
performance
|
|