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CREATINE DOES NOT INCREASE INCIDENCE OF CRAMPING OR INJURY DURING PRE-SEASON COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRAINING I

1999; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 31; Issue: Supplement Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00005768-199905001-01790

1530-0315

Richard B. Kreider, C. Melton, J. Hunt, Christopher J. Rasmussen, Jason I. Ransom, T. W. F. Stroud, E. Cantler, P. Milnor,

Genetics and Physical Performance

1794 Anecdotal reports suggest that creatine supplementation during intense training increases the incidence of cramping and/or injury. This study examined the effects creatine supplementation on cramping/injury rates during two phases of preseason college football training. Division IA football players participated in this open label safety study. 34 of 77 athletes (44%) ingested a supplement containing 15.75 g/d of creatine for 5-d followed by 5.25 g/d of creatine for 20-d during pre-camp training. During the 17-d camp, 34 of 100 subjects (34%) ingested a carbohydrate/protein supplement containing 8.3 g/d of creatine. Remaining players were either former creatine users (> 1 month cessation) or non-users and were provided a carbohydrate/protein supplement containing no creatine. Pre-camp training consisted of 4-5 d/wk (70±7 min per workout) of resistance-training indoors (28±1°C, 79±2% RH) and sprint/agility conditioning outdoors (32±0.9°C, 84±3% RH). Subjects practiced 2 to 3 times per day (207±17 min/d, 6 d/wk) in environmental conditions ranging from 29 to 37°C, 58 to 91% RH (33.7 ± 0.6°C, 79±2.4% RH). Injuries treated by the athletic training staff and missed practices due to injury were recorded. Data are presented as total number of treated injuries/complaints for creatine users/total occurrences and percentage occurrence rate for training phases I and II, respectively. Results revealed that the incidence of cramping (0/1, 0%; 17/49, 35%), heat/dehydration (0/0, 0%; 3/8, 38%), muscle tightness (1/3, 33%; 5/12, 42%), muscle pulls/strains (0/3, 0%; 1/7, 14%), non-contact joint injuries (0/1, 0%; 7/22, 32%), contact injuries (0/0, 0%; 4/11, 36%), illness (0/0, 0%, 1/10, 10%), number of missed practices due to injury (0/0, 0%, 26/70, 38%), and total injuries/missed practices (1/8, 13%; 64/188, 34%) were generally proportional or lower than the creatine use rate among players during pre-camp conditioning (44%) and fall camp (34%). Results indicate that creatine supplementation during pre-season college football training in hot/humid environmental conditions does not increase the incidence of muscle cramping or injury. Supported by Experimental & Applied Sciences. Golden CO & University of Memphis.