The effects of creatine monohydrate loading on anaerobic performance and one-repetition maximum strength.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of maltodextrin (as a placebo) against creatine monohydrate on anaerobic performance, strength, and body weight.
Results Summary
The study found no significant changes in peak power, body weight, or strength (1RM leg extension and bench press) in the maltodextrin group, indicating it had no measurable effect on these outcomes compared to baseline.
Population
22 healthy men (mean age 22.1 ± 2.0 years, body weight 77.6 ± 7.6 kg).
Effective Dosage
20 g·d⁻¹ of maltodextrin powder.
Duration
7 days.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) for 7 days | increase | mean power (MP) from the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) | 22 men (supplement group) | 5.4% | significant increase | #1 |
20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) for 7 days | no change | 1RM bilateral leg extension (LE) strength | 22 men (supplement group) | no significant change | no effect | #2 |
20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) for 7 days | no change | 1RM bench press (BP) strength | 22 men (supplement group) | no significant change | no effect | #3 |
20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) for 7 days | no change | peak power (PP) from the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) | 22 men (supplement group) | no significant change | no changes | #4 |
20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) for 7 days | no change | body weight (BW) | 22 men (supplement group) | no significant change | no changes | #5 |
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 7 days of supplementation with 20 g·d⁻¹ of creatine monohydrate (CM) on mean power (MP) and peak power (PP) from the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT), body weight (BW), 1-repetition maximum (1RM) bilateral leg extension (LE) strength, and 1RM bench press (BP) strength. This study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Twenty-two men (mean ± SD: age = 22.1 ± 2.0 years; height = 178.0 ± 5.8 cm; body weight [BW] = 77.6 ± 7.6 kg) were randomly assigned to either a supplement (SUPP; n = 10) or placebo (PLAC; n = 12) group. The SUPP group ingested 20 g·d⁻¹ of CM powder for 7 days, whereas the PLAC ingested 20 g·d⁻¹ of maltodextrin powder. Measurements for the PLAC and SUPP groups included BW, PP, and MP from two 30-second WAnTs (separated by 7 minutes), and 1RM strength for LE and BP. Testing was conducted before (PRE) and after (POST) 7 days of ingesting either the supplement or placebo. The results of this study indicated that there was a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase from PRE to POST testing in MP for the SUPP group (5.4%) but not for the PLAC group (-0.3%). There were no between-group differences, however, for 1RM LE and 1RM BP strength. Furthermore, there were no changes in PP or BW for either group. The findings of this study indicated that loading with 20 g·d⁻¹ of CM for 7 days increased MP (5.4% increase) from the WAnT, but it had no effect on strength (1RM LE and 1RM BP), PP, or BW.