FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT AREA   

Medicina dello Sport 2009 December;62(4):435-45

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

The effects of acute creatine and carbohydrate supplementation on anaerobic performance in soccer players

Esmaeeli A., Ostojic S. M., Fallahmohammadi Z., Mirdar Harijani S. H.

¹ Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Mazandran, Mazandran, Iran 2 Faculty of Sport and Tourism, Metropolitan University, Belgrade, Serbia

Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute creatine-monohydrate (CR) and CR plus carbohydrate (CR+CHO) supplementation on anaerobic performance in young soccer players.
Methods. Twenty one young male soccer players (19.0±1.6 years) participated in the study. Subjects were matched to 3 randomly assigned groups: CR+CHO (N=7; 20 g/d of CR+100 g/d of CHO), CR (N=7, 20 g/d of creatine) or placebo for 5 days using a double-blind design. Before and after the supplementation protocol, subjects performed counter-movement jump test (CMJT), running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST) after the measurement of body composition.
Results. Maximum and average power and body mass improved significantly in the CR+CHO and CR group (P<0.05) after the supplementation. There was no significant change in CMJT and fatigue index at post-test between groups. Furthermore there were no between group differences in maximum and average power; CMJT and fatigue index in CR+CHO and CR groups as compared with placebo group.
Conclusion. In conclusion, acute CR/CHO supplementation did not significantly improve anaerobic performances of soccer players but in spite of increased body mass, certain improvements were detect in CR groups which might have had an important role in the game results.