Creatine supplementation enhances anaerobic ATP synthesis during a single 10 sec maximal handgrip exercise

Forearm muscles of twelve healthy male subjects (age = 22.3 +/- 1.1 years (mean +/- S.E.)) were examined during a 10 sec maximal dynamic handgrip exercise (Ex10) using 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after ingestion with 30 g creatine (Cr) monohydrate or placebo per day for 14 days. Cr supplementation produced a 11.5 +/- 4.6% increase in the resting muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration and a 65.0 +/- 4.2% increase in the PCr degradation during Ex10. ATP synthesis rate through PCr hydrolysis and total anaerobic ATP synthesis rate during Ex10 increased from 0.64 +/- 0.08 (pre-value) to 0.86 +/- 0.14 mmol/kg ww/sec (post-value, p < 0.05) and from 0.97 +/- 0.16 (pre-value) to 1.33 +/- 0.27 mmol/kg ww/sec (post-value, p < 0.05), respectively. An increase in total anaerobic ATP synthesis during Ex10 after Cr supplementation positively correlated with the increase in ATP synthesis through PCr hydrolysis. Cr supplementation produced a 15.1 +/- 3.8% increase in the mean power output during Ex10. There was no significant difference in the mean power output per unit of total anaerobic ATP synthesis during Ex10 between before and after Cr supplementation. ATP synthesis rate through PCr hydrolysis positively correlated with mean power output during Ex10 in all twelve subjects after treatment (r = 0.58, p < 0.05). The results suggest that Cr supplementation enhanced PCr degradation during Ex10. It is strongly indicated that an improvement in performance during Ex10 was associated with the increased PCr availability for the synthesis of ATP.