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Long-term creatine supplementation improves muscular performance during resistance training in older women

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of long-term creatine supplementation combined with resistance training (RT) on the one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength, motor functional performance (e.g., 30-s chair stand, arm curl, and getting up from lying on the floor tests) and body composition (e.g., fat-free mass, muscle mass, and % body fat using DEXA scans) in older women. Eighteen healthy women (64.9 ± 5.0 years) were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to either a creatine (CR, N = 9) or placebo (PL, N = 9) group. Both groups underwent a 12-week RT program (3 days week−1), consuming an equivalent amount of either creatine (5.0 g day−1) or placebo (maltodextrin). After 12 week, the CR group experienced a greater (P < 0.05) increase (Δ%) in training volume (+164.2), and 1RM bench press (+5.1), knee extension (+3.9) and biceps curl (+8.8) performance than the PL group. Furthermore, CR group gained significantly more fat-free mass (+3.2) and muscle mass (+2.8) and were more efficient in performing submaximal-strength functional tests than the PL group. No changes (P > 0.05) in body mass or % body fat were observed from pre- to post-test in either group. These results indicate that long-term creatine supplementation combined with RT improves the ability to perform submaximal-strength functional tasks and promotes a greater increase in maximal strength, fat-free mass and muscle mass in older women.

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Acknowledgments

We address a special thanks to Andrea Diniz for their great help in the encapsulation of creatine. We are also grateful to all the participants for their engagement in this study and the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/Brazil) for the doctoral scholarships conferred to M.A.N. and A.M.G., and the National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq/Brazil) for the grant conceded to E.S.C. Part of this work was supported by the Araucaria Foundation for the Support of Scientific and Technological Development of Paraná - FAADCT/Brazil (Protocol number 15466).

Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the author(s).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Biological and Health Sciences, North University of Paraná (UNOPAR), Avenue Paris, 675 Jardim Piza, Londrina, PR, 86041-120, Brazil

    Andreo Fernando Aguiar, Renata Selvatici Borges Januário & Raymundo Pires Junior

  2. Department of Physical Education, Centre for Physical Education and Sports, Londrina State University (UEL), Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Matheus Amarante do Nascimento & Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino

  3. Group of Study and Research in Metabolism, Nutrition, and Exercise, Londrina State University (UEL), Londrina, Brazil

    Renata Selvatici Borges Januário, Aline Mendes Gerage, Fábio Luiz Cheche Pina, Matheus Amarante do Nascimento & Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino

  4. Department of Biostatistics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Carlos Roberto Padovani

  5. Department of Physical Education, Centre of Sport, Santa Catarina Federal University, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Aline Mendes Gerage

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  1. Andreo Fernando Aguiar
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Correspondence to Andreo Fernando Aguiar.

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Communicated by Michael Lindinger.

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Aguiar, A.F., Januário, R.S.B., Junior, R.P. et al. Long-term creatine supplementation improves muscular performance during resistance training in older women. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 987–996 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2514-6

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