The effect of creatine on rower's performance

The use of supplementation is sports is beginning to become more and more usual in our days athletes. The use of Creatine Monohydrte is one of the major doubts in rowers of our days. Some use it and other say it is not worth. Most of us don't have any knowledge or training in supplementation. Even so rowers without any knowledge keep using Creatine Monohydrate because they believe it gives them more power and helps them in recovery.

I know many rowers that have use it. Some of them use it with medical or professional prescription. I always had my doubts in using Creatine to improve my performance in rowing. From what I know Creatine is more useful for other sports where you use your power in short periods (football, rugby, sprints,...). Rowing as a endurance sports will not benefit from the use of thus type of products.

A study from University of Albert proved the use of Creatine Monodydrate is not useful for rowers. At least in the conditions they tested it. Maybe for more intense training like high performance the conditions are different.

Give it a read and take our own conclusions.

THE EFFECT OF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE SUPPLEMENTATION DURING COMBINED STRENGTH AND HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING ON PERFORMANCE IN ROWERS

Gordon J. Bell, Dan Syrotuik, Alex Game & Ellen Gillies Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta.

Objective

To design and implement a scientifically sound off-season, on land training programs for Edmonton rowers who cannot obviously train specifically (on water) during the winter and examine the effect of acute creatine monohydrate (Cr) loading and supplementation during combined strength and high intensity endurance training on indices of performance and physiological adaptations.

Design

Double blind, randomized quasi-experimental time series design.

Setting

University of Alberta.

Subjects

Twenty-three male and female rowers volunteered. The mean age, height and weight was 22 years, 177.5 cm and 77.3 kg, respectively.

Intervention

All subjects completed 3 weeks of combined strength (2 days per week) and endurance training (4 days per week) prior to testing to ensure a base fitness level was established prior to testing. The strength training program was periodized and designed to maximize strength and hypertrophy as best as possible in a two day a week program. The high intensity endurance training program was also periodized and involved 2 sessions of continuous rowing equivalent to ventilation threshold intensity and 2 additional sessions per week that involved high intensity interval training. All rowing training was performed indoors on Concept II rowing machines. Subsequent to baseline training, all rowers performed a series of physiological and performance measurements. The subjects were then matched for gender and initial 2000 m performance time and randomly assigned to 2 groups: placebo and Cr supplementation. The Cr loading protocol was daily doses of 0.30 g/kg body mass for 5 days while placebo received the same volume and flavour drink without Cr. Testing was repeated after the 5 day Cr loading or placebo period. At this time, all subjects followed the same prescribed endurance training (4 days per week) and strength training (2 days per week) programs for 5 weeks. However, all subjects were instructed complete more repetitions on the prescribed strength training program and a lower split time on the endurance interval sessions if possible. They were also required to record this so it could be determined if creatine supplementation would allow a greater training load to be completed. The Cr maintained their supplementation with 0.03 g/kg of Cr while the placebo group continued with their intake of placebo.

Main Outcome Measures

Body mass, body composition, ventilation/maximal oxygen consumption (VT/VO2max) test, repeated anaerobic power tests, repeated 10 RM strength test and a 2000 m rowing performance time.

Main Results

There was a significant interaction effect for body mass indicating that the Cr group gained 0.7 kg over the 5 day loading period. Five days of Cr loading did not change body composition (% fat, lean body mass) nor did it improve repeated interval rowing performance, 2000 m rowing performance or repeated strength performance greater than the placebo group. Ventilation threshold, maximal oxygen consumption, 2000 m rowing performance time, repeated interval performance and repeated 10 RM strength significantly increased similarly in both groups after 5 weeks of combined training. The ability to perform more repetitions per set of strength exercise for bench press and leg press after 5 weeks of training was also not greater with Cr supplementation. Also, the ability to maintain power output during repeated 250 m and 500 m high intensity intervals during training was not significantly greater with Cr supplementation compared to placebo.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that Cr supplementation did not increase performance or training volume greater than the placebo condition in rowers that performed a combined strength and high intensity endurance training program.

Commentary

The influence of creatine monohydrate (Cr) supplementation on performance and the ability to perform a greater volume of training has produced controversial findings. Despite the anecdotal reports by individuals in the gym or popular strength and power training literature (Muscle and Fitness magazine), a careful review of the scientific literature has been quite divided with some studies showing a significant improvement in certain types of performance with creatine supplementation while other research has shown no difference from a placebo group. One consistent finding is a body mass gain that many people have erroneously attributed to an increase in lean body mass. However, the ability to increase muscle mass after just 5 days of creatine supplementation is virtually impossible and thus, the gain in body mass is most likely due to increase in body water retention. The present study supports this as a significant gain in body mass did occur in the creatine supplementation group but no change in body fat or lean body mass determined by hydrostatic weighing was observed. The other suggested effect of creatine monohydrate is that it will increase the muscle stores of creatine as well as lead to an increase in synthesis of creatine phosphate. This effect may translate to an improved performance in short duration anaerobic sprint tests and/or the ability to recovery between repeated bouts of exercise such as sprinting or weight lifting and therefore perform repeated intervals at a greater level with less fatigue. The present study did not observe this possible effect as the power output and fatigue index during 6 repeats of 250 meter sprints and the number of repetitions of bench press and leg press 10 repetition maximum test, were not different between creatine supplementation and placebo groups with acute loading or after combined strength and endurance training. Furthermore, the ability to produce a greater power output during endurance interval training or perform more repetitions per set of strength exercise during training while supplementing with creatine monohydrate was not observed.

Therefore, we conclude that creatine supplementation is not the "magic pill" that will improve performance and training volume in training athletes.

Are you a rower? visit www.laststroke.com

Are you looking for sports supplements? www.multiversus.com/