THE EFFECTS OF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE SUPPLEMENTATION ON STRENGTH, LEAN BODY MASS, AND CIRCUMFERENCES IN MALE WEIGHTLIFTERS

1542 The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral supplementation of creatine monohydrate would cause changes in maximal strength, lean body mass, and selected body circumferences. Forty-four male subjects, age 18 to 25 years, completed the study. Subjects weight trained at least once per week for 6 months, were familiar with the free weight bench press, and were not taking any other supplements. They were randomly divided into a supplementation group(n = 15), who received creatine monohydrate; a placebo group (n = 13), who received powdered sugar; and a control group (n = 16), who received nothing. Group assignments were double blind. All subjects were pretested to determine 1 RM bench press strength; circumferences of the right upper arm, chest, abdomen, and right proximal thigh; and lean body mass by hydrostatic weighing. The subjects were instructed to maintain normal dietary and exercise pattems. After 6 weeks, they were posttested. Analysis of variance results revealed no significant differences among the groups for: (a) 1 RM bench press, F(2, 41) = 0.67, p =.52; (b) chest circumference, F(2, 41) = 1.08, p =.35; (c) abdominal circumference, F(2, 41) = 0.63, p =.54; (d) right upper arm circumference, F(2, 41) = 1.24, p =.30; (e) right proximal thigh, F(2, 41) = 0.23, p =.80; or (f) lean body mass, F(2, 41) = 0.86, p =.43. The results indicated that oral supplementation of creatine monohydrate for 6 weeks did not significantly affect maximal strength, body girth, or lean body mass in college-age, male weight trainers.