Matthew R. Summers-Johnson Humboldt State University, Arcata CA

Introduction•Creatine (Cr) is the most common supplement used to improve performance in anaerobic activities. [1]•Naturally occurring compound primarily found in meat and fish.•Consists of amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine•65% of Cr is stored in skeletal muscle in the form of phosphocreatine (PCr) [1]•Plays important role in muscle contractions during high intensity exercise•Used to rapidly generate ATP•Cr supplementation has been shown to improve muscular strength when combined with a resistance training program.[1] Purpose: To better understand the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on muscular strength.

Conclusions:•These findings support that creatine supplementation increases an individuals muscular strength when combined with a resistance training program

•Creatine group showed a significant difference in muscular strength after a resistance training program whereas the placebo group did not

•Future research needs to be done on the potential side effects of Cr supplementation in addition to what is the most affective dosage of Cr to consume

Methods:

•Double-blind placebo controlled

Bench Press & Leg Press ExercisesDiscussion

•Findings from these studies suggest Cr supplementation increases muscular strength•In the Herda, at al. study, all Cr subjects showed a significant difference in bench press and leg press•Cr users in the Kreider, at al. study showed a significant difference in bench press•Cr users in the Becque, et al. study demonstrated a significant difference in arm flexor strength from pre- to post-supplementation•Cr users in the Gouttebarge, et al. study showed a significant difference in vertical jump from pre- to post-supplementation

References:1.Demant, T. W., & Rhodes, E. C. (2009). Effects of creatine supplementation on exercise performance. Sports Medicine , 28 (1), 49-60.

2.Herda, T. J., Beck, T. W., Ryan, E. D., Smith, A. E., Walter, A. A., Hartman, M. J., et al. (2009). Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength and power output.

3.Kreider, R. B., Ferreira, M., Wilson, M., Grindstaff, P., Plisk, S., Reinardy, J., et al. (1998). Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance.

4.Becque, D. M., Lochmann, J. D., & Melrose, D. R. (2005). Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition.

5.Gouttebarge, V., Inklaar, H., & Hautier, C. A. (2012). Short-term oral creatine supplementation in profressional football players: A randomized placebo-controlled trial.

The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Muscular Strength

Results:

* Indicates a significant (p<0.05) difference from pre- to post-supplementation

Reverse CrunchSeated Abdominal Twists

Double Leg Thrust

Study N= Age(M) Cr Admin Test

Herda, et al. [2] 58 Males

21 years 5g daily (4wks)

Bench press & Leg Press

Kreider, et al. [3] 25 males 19.9 years

5g daily (4wks)

Bench Press

Becque, et al. [4] 23 males 21.5 years

5g daily (8wks)

Arm flexor

Gouttebarge, et al. [5]

16 males 26.7 years

20g daily (7days)

Vertical Jump

Study Bench Press

Leg Press Arm Flexor

Vertical Jump

Herda et al. 164.6-177.7kg*

524.6-576.9kg*

Kreider et al. 225.2-246.4lbs*

Becque et al. 42.5-49.3lbs*

Gouttebarge et al.

33.1-39.7in*