One supplement used in football that is supported by strong scientific evidence is creatine.
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that is synthesized in the liver and kidney from amino acids such as arginine and glycine.
The largest creatine stores are found in skeletal muscle, hence its best food sources are meat and fish
Around 70% of this creatine is stored in phosphorylated form as phosphocreatine (Pcr) and is involved in maximum intensity and short duration efforts.
It is clear that football is an intermittent sport of high intensity, and it is precisely in those moments, where accelerations are made at maximum speed to reach the ball or jumps with the greatest possible force to clear the ball, when the PCr comes into play to regenerate the ATP (energy exchange currency) and be able to perform that explosive action for a little longer or to be able to perform more times at the same intensity.
Thus, improvements have been seen in the performance of repetitions in short sprints (1), and football provides countless examples of this.
How many goals have been scored at the end of matches because sprints are no longer as fast as they were at the beginning of the match? This can make all the difference in a match.
Creatine has traditionally been used for strength and power sports, due to the induced improvements in the muscle mass of these athletes. So, in footballers, it is also a good way to optimise muscle mass (2)
DOSAGE
Creatine supplementation is usually done with a loading phase of 20g per day for 5 days in a row and then a maintenance phase of 3-5g per day (3).
But in intermittent sports, such as in this case football, it is advisable to follow a different protocol, reaching the same load with 3g a day
When you stop taking it, basal levels recover in 5-8 weeks.
HOW TO TAKE IT AND WHEN
Insulin increases the absorption of creatine at the muscle level (4), so it is advisable to use it together with carbohydrates fundamentally, since these cause insulin secretion. And since after exertion we need carbohydrates to recover muscle glycogen, this provides a 2-in-1 benefit.
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE
Not everyone responds equally to creatine supplementation. It will depend on the muscle creatine deposits that you have previously. Those players who start with a high concentration of creatine will be less responsive. And this will depend on the footballer's diet. For example, vegan footballers, who do not eat animal foods, tend to have a lower concentration of muscle creatine, so such supplementation could have greater effects than in those who are omnivores.
And not only that, having more type II muscle fibers—the fast-twitch fibers—may support a better response to creatine during intermittent exercise, such as in this case football. (1).
KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEIGHT
Because intracellular water increases during the initial phase, body weight may rise. This is not fat gain, but it can still be uncomfortable for many footballers, so it must be taken into account when using this supplement.
To conclude, it is a very interesting supplement in football, and it should be used at different periods throughout the season (pre-season, times of greater match load or simply with body composition objectives) (5).
REFERENCES
- Casey, A., D.Constantin-Teodosiu, S.Howell, E.Hultman and P.L.Greenhaff (1996). Creatine ingestion favorably affects performance and muscle metabolism during maximal exercise in humans. J. Physiol, 271: E31-E37.
- Branch, J.D. (2003). Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. J. Sports. Nutr. Exer. Metab. 13: 198-226.
- Hultman, E., K.Soderlund, J.A.Timmons, G.Cederblad and P.L.Greenhaff (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. Appl. Physiol. 81: 232-237.
- Robinson, T.M., D.A.Sewell, E.Hultman and P.L.Greenhaff (1999). Role of submaximal exercise in promoting creatine and glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. Appl. Physiol. 87:598-604.
- Morton, J.P. (2014). Supplements for Consideration in Football. Sport Science Exchange 27 (130): 1-8
AUTHOR:
Fernando García Oliveri
Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist at Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol S. A. D
Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the Faculty of Medicine of the
University of Valladolid. Year 2007-2010.
-Internship completed at the Rio Hortega University Hospital in
Valladolid.
Master's Degree in Sports Training and Nutrition from the School of Sports Studies
Real Madrid University of the European University of Madrid. Year 2010-2011.
-Internship completed in the 1st Team of Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol
S. A. D. during the 2011 pre-season (200 hours)
-Master's Thesis "Comparison of nutrient intake in a
group of elite football players during the start and end of
preseason." (note 8/10)
Course of Complementary Training to obtain the Degree in
Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of
Valladolid. Year 2011-2012.
During the last few years I have combined studies with a private practice such as
Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist, both with elite athletes, professionals and
amateur in endurance sports (especially duathlon, triathlon, marathon,
mountain trails, mountain biking, road cycling), crossfit and fitness as with
general population, with satisfactory results.
During the practices in the 1st team of Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol S. A. D.,
I participated as a dietitian-nutritionist working on the nutrition of the
players, taking into account their physiological, sporting,
personal, socioeconomic, religious and cultural preferences.
I also participated in the planning of menus and assessment of the nutritional
balance of the food provision.
Since September 2013 I have been working as a Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist at Real
Valladolid Club de Fútbol S. A. D where I carry out dietetic-nutritional advice,
menu preparation, supplementation strategies, personalized diets
and a tracking of players' body composition
through a kineanthropometric assessment. (3 years
in the First Division of the Spanish Professional Football League and 3 years in the Second Division
of the Spanish Professional Football League
