Creatine Monohydrate: Increases in Repeated Sprint Ability, Ground Reaction Force, and Strength in Elite Athletes 

Athletes at an elite level are always searching for the .10 second difference in their speed performance.  Many athletes in professional sports, especially in field athletes; need to have the ability to explode from the start in the shortest time possible, while executing proper form and technique, whether it is from the blocks in track-and field in a three or four-point stance, or on a turf, like that in football or soccer.  The athletes must increase their GRF (ground reaction force), their RPA (repeated sprint ability), and their overall strength with peak power output. (Dintiman 2020).  There are many training modalities and techniques used to execute applying these, but all of this is secondary to the human body’s ability to maximize its energy currency: ATP: adenosine triphosphate.  The body uses phosphocreatine (PCr) and anerobic glycolysis for anerobic ATP production, and the importance of ergogenic aids; like creatine monohydrate (CM) supplements, are one of sports performance athletes’ greatest tools for maximizing their body’s ability to explode at the correct time with the most power and speed possible.  This paper is going to concentrate on the effects creatine monohydrate supplementation (an ergogenic aid) and the increased performance of RSA, GRF, and strength in elite athletes. 

Overview of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation 

The human body internally produces roughly 1 gram of creatine per day via the liver, kidneys, and the pancreas.  If the body produces such a small amount, the elite athlete must receive the needed amounts for storage through whole foods like beef, which are then synthesized through available essential amino acids in the diet.  Elite field athletes have high energy requirements while performing short sprints and high intensity exercise (HIE).  Variables like fatigue in combination with the accumulation of lactate buildup are some limiting factors on the athlete’s ability to perform consistently in bouts repeated bouts of HIE (Sahlin 2014). At such a high level of performance, especially during a competition; there is a benefit of supplementing creatine monohydrate through methods like loading. It is important for an elite level athlete to have the depleted source of energy more readily bioavailable without having to consume a meal, which in most cases during an event is not practical. Many studies show that not only does creatine monohydrate supplementation show increases in overall strength amongst athletes but may also offset the decrease in force production during progressive training programs (Balsom 1995). 

Lean Body Mass, Strength, and Power with Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation 

In a Sports Health article, evidence that around 64% of studies reviewed measured increases in lean body mass, power, and strength in participants who supplemented using creatine monohydrate. (Butts 2017). The studies also show that supplementation of creatine monohydrate, along with resistance program; produced the greatest increases in lean body mass. 

RSA and GRF Improvements with Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation 

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled parallel group of professional elite Brazilian soccer players; studies showed that supplementation of creatine monohydrate demonstrated better results in the Cr group versus the placebo group. Using countermovement jump performance measurements with a strain-gauge force plate before and after supplementation, studies showed a reduction in performance in the placebo group, with a possible negative effect of 50%. The training protocol used resistance training and sport-specific training. The resistance exercises consisted of squat, bench press, lat pull down, leg press, and seated shoulder presses, with 3 × 8–10 repetition maximum with 1 to 3 minutes of recovery between sets. Plyometric exercises were also included in the program study. Athletes in the Cr group were able to have significant abilities to recover and perform sprint activities in a shorter duration without as much of a power decline in the lower limbs. 

Creatine Supplementation Dosing and Performance 

The National Institute of Health suggests off of studies that short-term creatine supplementation of around 5-7 days; shows significant increases in strength, power, and sprinting (like in soccer) with exercise at maximal effort. With doses of creatine monohydrate totaling around 20 grams per day, subjects in the Cr group showed improvements in the 60M and 100M sprints (Kim 2021) 

Creatine Monohydrate as an Ergogenic Aid for Sprint Performance 

It is safe to say after reviewing articles from studies covering the supplementation of creatine monohydrate in elite track-and-field and soccer athletes, that this ergogenic aid is useful in accelerating the performance; in reference to lean body mass, GRF, RSA, and overall strength when coupled with a resistance and plyometric program that is sport-specific.  Athletes may want to consider supplementing creatine monohydrate during a periodized program to enhance their performance. 

(if you are an athlete or a competitor that is serious about improving performance, please check out @nataliekollars with @exos on INSTAGRAM or linktr.ee/nataliekollars)

References 

Balsom PD, Söderlund K, Sjödin B, Ekblom B: Skeletal muscle metabolism during short duration high-intensity exercise: influence of creatine supplementation. Acta Physiol Scand. 1995, 154: 303-310.)  ( 

Balsom PD, Ekblom B, Söderlund K, Sjödln B, Hultman E: Creatine supplementation and dynamic high intensity exercise. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1993, 3: 143-149.  

Claudino, J.G., Mezêncio, B., Amaral, S. et al. Creatine monohydrate supplementation on lower-limb muscle power in Brazilian elite soccer players. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 11, 32 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-32 

Izquierdo M, Ibañez J, González-Badillo JJ, Gorostiaga EM: Effects of creatine supplementation on muscle power, endurance, and sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002, 34: 332-343.). ( 

Kim, Jooyoung: Effects of Combined Creatine and Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Soccer-Specific Performance in Elite Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PubMed.org (2021). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34203286/ 

Volek JS, Ratamess NA, Rubin MR, Gómez AL, French DN, McGuigan MM, Scheett TP, Sharman MJ, Häkkinen K, Kraemer WJ: The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004, 91: 628-637.) 

Vannas-Sulonen K, Sipila I, VannasA, Simell O, Rapola J. Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina: a five-year follow-up of creatine supplementation. Ophthalmology 1985;92:1719-27. [PubMed abstract] 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5753968/#bibr18-1941738117737248 

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4213384/)