The Study
Effects of creatine supplementation on the performance and body composition of competitive swimmers.
This study gave some swimmers creatine pills and others fake pills to see what happened. It found that creatine made their bodies hold more water and increased their weight a little, but didn't make them swim faster. So we can say creatine might change their body a bit, but we can't say for sure it helps them swim better.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Swimmers took a supplement called creatine for a week to see if it helped them swim faster or get stronger.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even though their bodies absorbed creatine, it didn't help them swim better in short, intense races under normal training.
- 2They gained weight (about 1-2 kg), mostly from water, and their bodies excreted more creatine, but they didn't swim any faster or produce less lactate after swimming.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutritional biochemistry
Year
2004
Authors
R. Mendes, I. Pires, A.L.L. Oliveira, J. Tirapegui
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking creatine supplements increases muscle performance in humans.
In competitive swimmers, taking 20 grams of creatine daily for 7 days does not improve swimming performance, even though it increases body weight and creatine levels in urine.
Taking 20 grams of creatine daily for 7 days increases total body weight, lean mass, and water content in competitive swimmers, but does not change muscle or bone mass, meaning the weight gain comes from increased water, not new tissue.
When competitive swimmers take creatine supplements, more creatine and creatinine appear in their urine, showing the body absorbs and processes it, and more than half of the creatine taken in stays in the body's tissues.
Taking creatine supplements for a short time does not change the level of creatinine in the blood of competitive swimmers.
Taking creatine supplements does not change the amount of lactate in the blood after swimming in competitive swimmers, meaning it does not alter how their muscles produce energy without oxygen during intense effort.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.