Short-Term Creatine Supplementation and Repeated Sprint Ability-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Supplementation

Background:

• Repeated sprint ability is crucial for many sports.
• Creatine is a popular supplement for enhancing athletic performance.
• The effects of short-term creatine use on repeated sprint performance require clarification.

Approach:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.
• Included participants aged 18-60 years undergoing repeated sprint tests.
• Analyzed effects of 3-7 days of creatine supplementation (approx. 20 g/day) on power output, fatigue, body mass, and blood lactate.

Key Points:

• Creatine supplementation significantly increased mean power output (δ = 0.61, p = .002).
• Creatine also significantly increased body mass (D = 0.79 kg, p < .00001).
• No significant effects were observed on peak power, fatigue, or blood lactate levels.

Conclusions:

• Short-term creatine supplementation may enhance mean power output during repeated sprints.
• The lack of improvement in peak power and fatigue suggests further investigation is needed.
• Future research should include intramuscular creatine content measurements to confirm findings.