Creatine supplementation and endurance performance: surges and sprints to win the race.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the potential mechanisms by which creatine supplementation could affect endurance performance and highlight nuances in the literature.
Results Summary
Creatine supplementation enhances anaerobic work capacity, increases time to exhaustion during high-intensity endurance activities, and may improve performance in sports requiring repeated surges or end spurts. However, mixed results were observed for time trial performances, and increased body mass may offset benefits in weight-bearing activities.
Population
Not specified (general endurance athletes and sports requiring intermittent high-intensity efforts).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
Co-ingestion with carbohydrates enhances glycogen resynthesis.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creatine supplementation | increase | resistance training and improve intense, short duration, intermittent performance | - | - | is an effective ergogenic aid to augment | #1 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | skeletal muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores | - | - | elevates | #2 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | ATP | - | - | facilitating a greater capacity to rapidly resynthesize | #3 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | hydrogen ion accumulation | - | - | facilitating a greater capacity to buffer | #4 |
Creatine | increase | glycogen resynthesis and content | - | - | enhances | #5 |
Creatine | decrease | inflammation and oxidative stress | - | - | lowers | #6 |
Creatine | increase | mitochondrial biogenesis | - | - | has the potential to increase | #7 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | body mass | - | - | increases | #8 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | time to exhaustion during high-intensity endurance activities | - | - | increases | #9 |
Creatine supplementation | increase | performances that require multiple surges in intensity and/or during end spurts | - | - | appears to be more effective at improving | #10 |
Creatine supplementation is an effective ergogenic aid to augment resistance training and improve intense, short duration, intermittent performance. The effects on endurance performance are less known. The purpose of this brief narrative review is to discuss the potential mechanisms of how creatine can affect endurance performance, defined as large muscle mass activities that are cyclical in nature and are >~3 min in duration, and to highlight specific nuances within the literature. Mechanistically, creatine supplementation elevates skeletal muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores facilitating a greater capacity to rapidly resynthesize ATP and buffer hydrogen ion accumulation. When co-ingested with carbohydrates, creatine enhances glycogen resynthesis and content, an important fuel to support high-intensity aerobic exercise. In addition, creatine lowers inflammation and oxidative stress and has the potential to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. In contrast, creatine supplementation increases body mass, which may offset the potential positive effects, particularly in weight-bearing activities. Overall, creatine supplementation increases time to exhaustion during high-intensity endurance activities, likely due to increasing anaerobic work capacity. In terms of time trial performances, results are mixed; however, creatine supplementation appears to be more effective at improving performances that require multiple surges in intensity and/or during end spurts, which are often key race-defining moments. Given creatines ability to enhance anaerobic work capacity and performance through repeated surges in intensity, creatine supplementation may be beneficial for sports, such as cross-country skiing, mountain biking, cycling, triathlon, and for short-duration events where end-spurts are critical for performance, such as rowing, kayaking, and track cycling.