title: Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults.
abstract: The purpose was to determine if creatine supplementation, consumed immediately before and immediately after exercise, with different dosing frequency (i.e., 2 or 3 d wk) could enhance the gains in muscle size and strength from resistance training (RT) in young adults. A group of 38 physically active, nonresistance trained university students (21-28 years) was randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: CR2 (0.15 g·kg creatine during 2 d wk of RT; 3 sets of 10 repetitions; n = 11, 6 men, 5 women), CR3 (0.10 g·kg creatine during 3 d wk of RT; 2 sets of 10 repetitions; n = 11, 6 men, 5 women;), PLA2 (placebo during 2 d wk of RT; n = 8, 5 men, 3 women), and PLA3 (placebo during 3 d wk of RT; n = 8, 4 men, 4 women) for 6 weeks. Before and after training, measurements were taken for muscle thickness of the elbow and knee flexor and extensor muscle groups (ultrasound), 1-repetition maximumleg press and chest press strength, and kidney function (urinary microalbumin). Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed that strength and muscle thickness increased in all groups with training (p < 0.05). The CR2 (0.6 ± 0.9 cm or 20%; p < 0.05) and CR3 groups (0.4 ± 0.6 cm or 16.4%; p < 0.05) experienced greater change in muscle thickness of the elbow flexors compared to the PLA2 (0.05 ± 0.5 cm or 2.3%) and PLA3 groups (0.13 ± 0.7 cm or 6.3%). Men supplementing with creatine experienced a greater increase in leg press strength (77.3 ± 51.2 kg or 62%) compared to women on creatine (21.3 ± 10 kg or 34%, p < 0.05). We conclude that creatine supplementation during RT has a small beneficial effect on regional muscle thickness in young adults but that giving the creatine over 3 d wk did not differ from giving the same dose over 2 d wk.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina, Regina, Canada. darren.candow@uregina.ca
authors.forename: Darren G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Candow
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Chilibeck
authors.forename: Darren G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Kristie D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Jessica D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D003401:Creatine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003401:Creatine