Increasing muscle mass while improving sport performance is the ultimate goal for most athletes and after researching the performance demands in sports like football, I have come up with a plan of action.
Sport specific weight training, speed work, agility and nutrition are important factors for athletes (for example, football) to accomplish high performance goals. Let’s look into an overall nutrition profile first by making sure the macronutrient profile is up to speed. According to Jeukendrup & Gleeson (2019) it is recommended for an athlete looking to gain lean weight to consume 1.2-1.8 g/kg bw or even up to 2g/kg of bw per day of protein, and is absolutely necessary when hypertrophy is the goal. We can also emphasize that high quality sources of protein are necessary for lean tissue growth which includes foods like slamon, beef, pork, chicken, yogurt, whey protein, eggs and beans (Jeukendrup & Gleeson, 2019).
In addition to the protein recommendation, athletes should consume nutrient-rich carbohydrate sources to help fuel and recover his body from intense weight training and field training exercises. Based on most power training and anaerobic performance sports, it is recommended to consume 5-7 g/kg of BW in carbohydrates in sources such as potatoes, wild rice, whole wheat bread quinoa and fruit to help aid in lean body mass increases (Jeukendrup & Gleeson, 2019). The use of fats in diet and exercise are also important, but healthy sources like fish, olive oil, nut butters and avocados should make up the remaining caloric intake (Jeukendrup & Gleeson, 2019).
A supplement source like Boron is said to enhance lean muscle tissue when taken, but further evidence suggests that this is not effective and most sources can be found in noncitrus fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts and legumes (Jeukendrup & Gleeson, 2019). A recent study done on 56 male soccer players examined the effects of 2g/day of arginine over the course of 45 days and found performance improvements but no significant on body weight or lean body mass (Pahlavani et al., 2017). A multivitamin and mineral supplement would also not be necessary if a young power athlete is consuming his recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals from whole food sources. If there is a blood panel done, there can be an easier way to find out if there are deficiencies in the diet.
Creatine, on the otherhand has been proven to promote strength gains in athletes and has been the most popular ergogenic aid since the early 90’s. A normal diet with fish and beef, for example can provide up to 2 g of creatine per day and supplementing creatine can increase muscle creatine by up to 40%. In addition, a recent study done on soccer players showed that with 5 g/day for nine weeks resulted in significant improvements in anaerobic power performance (Mielgo-Ayuso, J. et al., 2019).
According to the International Sports Nutrition, recent research suggests that muscle cramps, dehydration, GI-distress or even musculosceletal injuries are not a result of creatine intake and there are no long term side effects (Kreider, R. B. et al., 2017).
As far as negative effects related to creatine use, Jagim, A. R. et al. (2018) noted that the only side effect worth noting was weight gain, but most users report that this is the main reason for supplementing in the first place. Future research is needed for younger users of creatine because, for the most part, younger athletes were only discouraged because of ethical reasons (i.e. yuonger than 18).
In review, I would recommend young athletes first emphasize a diet rich in whole foods rich in lean protein and healthy carbohydrates before supplementation. If there is a performance improvement, then his question is answered. If power athletes want to take things a bit further, supplementing with Creatine in addition to whey protein may be a great option. Like I mentioned above, 2 grams of creatine per day during heavy training months may benefit muscle hypertrophy and performance.
Recommended Dosage:
- Loading Dose- 20g/day (5g/serving spread out 4x/day) for 5 days
- 2g/day every training day thereafter (before training)
- Take a break for a few weeks after every 12th week
References:
Jagim, A. R., Stecker, R. A., Harty, P. S., Erickson, J. L., Kerksick, C. M. (2018). Safety of creatine supplementation in active adolescents and youth: A brieg review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2018.00115
Jeukendrup, A. & Gleeson, M. (2019). Sport Nutrition (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics
Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D. G., Kleiner, S. M., Almada, A. L., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(18). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Calleja-Gonzalez, J., Marques-Jimenez, D., Caballero-Garcia, A., Cordova, A., & Fernandez-Lazaro, D. (2019). Effects of creatine supplementation on athletic performance in soccer players: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 11(4), 757. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040757
Pahlavani, N., Entezari, M. H., Nasiri, M., Miri, A., Rezaie, M., Bagheri-Bidakhavidi, M., & Sadeghi, O. (2017). The effect of L-Arginine supplementation on body composition and performance in male athletes: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71, 544-548. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.266