Análise da suplementação de creatina sobre o dano muscular e a performance em atletas do Powerlifting paralímpico

Abstract

Creatine monohydrate is the most widely used supplement in the sports field, aiming to improve performance, promote muscle mass gain, and reduce fatigue. It may also exert a protective effect against muscle damage induced by highintensity training. The present study aimed to analyze the short-term effects of creatine supplementation on dynamic strength indicators, muscle temperature, and biomarkers of muscle damage at pre-training, immediately post-training, and 24 h and 48 h after exercise. This is a single-blind crossover study in which participants underwent an upperlimb resistance training program in two experimental conditions: creatine supplementation (20 g/day for seven days) and placebo, both prepared with identical color and flavor. The results indicated that, during exercises performed with a load of 45% of 1RM, creatine supplementation did not promote significant effects on the analyzed variables. In contrast, during training performed at 80% of 1RM, significant effects were observed, particularly for mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and maximal velocity (Vmax), especially in set 2 (MPV: p = 0.013; Vmax: p = 0.023) and set 5 (MPV: p = 0.017). In the analysis of muscle temperature, a significant increase was observed in the pectoralis muscle (clavicular portion) immediately after training (p = 0.049) and after 48 hours (p = 0.038), as well as in the triceps muscle after 24 hours (p = 0.025) and 48 hours (p = 0.022) with supplementation. Regarding tissue damage biomarkers, creatine kinase did not show relevant changes, whereas lactate dehydrogenase presented differences when comparing the placebo group with the supplementation group at the following time points: pre-training (p < 0.001), immediately post-training (p = 0.0007), 24 h post-training (p < 0.001), and 48 h post-training (p < 0.008), suggesting a protective effect of creatine against muscle damage. Significant differences were also observed for aspartate aminotransferase immediately post-training (p = 0.028) and alanine aminotransferase at the pre-training moment (p = 0.048). It can be concluded that creatine supplementation is effective in improving muscle performance, promoting gains in strength and power, and contributing to the prevention of potential injuries, especially when associated with high-intensity exercise.