Effect of Oral Creatine Supplementation Ation and Pre-cooling on Isometric Strength and Isometric Endurance

Background & Purpose:

Athletes use various Ergogenic aids to enhance performance capacity or the ability to perform work during various sporting events. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of oral creatine supplementation and pre-cooling on neuromuscular variables such as isometric strength and endurance.

Materials and methodology

30 healthy university level players participated in the different subject design, experimental study (Mean age 21.37±0.4 Yr, mean height 176.16±11.06cm and mean body weight 70.48±1.96). They were randomly divided into three groups (n=10) Creatine supplementation (20gm per day for 6 days), precooling (20 minutes in water at 16±2ºC till iliac crest) and placebo group (cornstarch 20gm per day for 6 days). Following administration, subjects performed 2 isometric holds; one of 10 seconds duration and other of 60 seconds. Isometric angle specific peak force, average force and fatigue index of quadriceps in extension moment were measured.

Results

A significant increase in all the above mentioned variables (p<0.05) were observed after creatine supplementation but for precooling a reduction in both average and peak force was observed. On comparison significant differences were observed for isometric endurance in the pre-cooling group as compared to the placebo group.

Conclusion

It is thus concluded that creatine supplement can act as an effective Ergogenic aid both in terms of isometric strength and endurance but pre-cooling effectively increases isometric endurance only within the investigated range.