Possibly, an even higher incidence of creatine users would be found if the survey were extended to the whole season, as this supplement has also been thought to improve the training ability in soccer [36]. Supporting this notion, it was demonstrated that creatine supplementation improved

muscle strength in collegiate female soccer players during off-season training [13]. However, the benefits of creatine in soccer remains inconclusive as there are very few data on the effects of chronic supplementation in elite athletes. In this regard, OTX015 datasheet this study shows that chronic creatine supplementation can promote positive effects on lower-limb performance in elite players during a pre-season intensive training, providing applicable evidence that this dietary supplement may benefit professional soccer players. The main

mechanism selleck underlying the beneficial effects of creatine shown in the current study could be a putative increase in the muscle phosphorylcreatine concentration, which could remain elevated during multiple exercise bouts, possibly offsetting the normal decrease in force production that occurs over the course of the training session [5, 6, 25, 37]. In agreement with this speculation, we observed a performance decline in the placebo group, but not in the creatine group, suggesting that creatine supplementation may be effective for maintaining muscular performance during a progressive training program. A similar conclusion was reached by another study, which demonstrated greater

improvements in muscular performance following the initial phase of a short-term resistance training overreaching with creatine supplementation in resistance-trained men [37]. Unfortunately, in the present study, we were unable to record the resistance training external load (i.e., external Obeticholic Acid chemical structure overload in kg and) in order to confirm this suggestion. This study presents some limitations. First, since our sample was composed of top-level athletes with strict training routines, we were unable to assess muscle creatine content or to perform a battery of physical tests. However, the main goal of this study, which was to test the efficacy of this supplement on lower-limb performance in elite soccer players was effectively achieved. Second, our sample size was relatively small, since the subjects were recruited from a unique club to avoid confounding factors (e.g., different training regimes and diet). To circumvent this issue and prevent potential misinterpretations, different statistical approaches were used, including the magnitude-based inference, which allow detecting any possible changes in the performance that might be relevant in a sports setting.