Creatine Supplements Research Paper

Does creatine enhance athletic performance?

Stephanie Nella

130553420

PS268-OC

Wilfrid Laurier University

Prepared for: Dr. Bruce McKay

February 28, 2015

Creatine has been used in sports since the early 1900s (Branch, 2003) when it was shown that creatine supplements could increase strength, power, muscle morphology, and body mass (Cooper, 2012). Athletes have always wanted to be one of the best in what they do. The banning of steroids in competitions and the implementation of random drug testing has increased the use of creatine supplementation in anaerobic sports, fast and powerful movement in a short period of high intensity movement (Branch, 2003). Muscles generate energy from adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to the adenosine triphosphate

Creatine supplement have been shown to accelerate recovery between workouts, increase muscle size and strength, increase body weight and improve anaerobic power and endurance (Branch, 2003). Resistance training combined with an injection of creatine supplementation amplifies sport performance. The increase muscle mass when creatine is ingested into the body during resistance training is the ability of the body to continue more repletion during training, which prompts beneficial genetic adaptions in the muscles (Williams, 2006). Creatine supplementation comes in forms of powder, candy, pills, chews and serum which improves performance in speed endurance sports such as the 50m swim or the 200m run, but does not improve ones skill in the sport (Williams, 2006). Weight lifters use creatine as a way to enhance their muscle growth. Creatine supplements are also consumed in multiple sprint sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey and tennis in which there are periods of low intensity or standing and periods of high intensity (Benzi,