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Creatine supplementation and swim performance: a brief review
Melissa J Hopwood1, Kenneth Graham, Kieron B Rooney
1School of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sydney University , Australia.
Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
|November 8, 2013
Summary
Creatine supplementation does not enhance single sprint swimming performance but may improve repeated interval sets. Power development in swimmers shows some improvement on a swim bench ergometer, with potential benefits for butterfly and breaststroke.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
Background:
- Creatine is a popular supplement for athletes, known to aid high-intensity anaerobic activity.
- This review focuses on creatine's impact on swimming performance and power development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effects of creatine supplementation on swimming performance.
- To examine creatine's influence on power development in swimmers.
- To discuss potential stroke-specific effects and limitations in current research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on creatine supplementation and swimming.
- Analysis of swimming performance metrics (single sprint, repeated intervals).
- Examination of power development measurements (swim bench ergometer).
Main Results:
- Creatine supplementation does not improve single sprint swimming performance.
- It may benefit repeated interval swim set performance.
- Power development shows improvement on a swim bench ergometer, but transfer to pool performance is uncertain.
Conclusions:
- Creatine supplementation benefits repeated high-intensity swimming efforts, not single sprints.
- While power output improves, its real-world swimming application requires further study.
- Future research should explore stroke-specific effects, particularly for butterfly and breaststroke.
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