Creatine formulations and repeated sprint training: effects on physical and physiological adaptations in soccer players during the short-term preparation phase.
Duan C, Wang Z, Wang Q • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition • 2026
Creatine supplementation enhanced adaptations to repeated sprint training in soccer players, with creatine ethyl ester and creatine hydrochloride forms showing superior gains in physical performance and peak power compared to creatine monohydrate after a 4-week intervention.
Key Findings
Results
All training groups improved physical and physiological performance following the 4-week repeated sprint training intervention.
Forty collegiate male soccer players were randomly divided into four groups: creatine monohydrate (Cr-Mon, n=10), creatine ethyl ester (Cr-Ee, n=10), creatine hydrochloride (Cr-Hcl, n=10), and placebo (PL, n=10).
Training consisted of 12 sessions over 4 weeks (three times per week).
Improvements were observed across all groups regardless of supplementation type (p < 0.05).
Physical performance measures included countermovement vertical jump (CMVJ), 20-m sprint, and L-run; physiological measures included Wingate anaerobic power and incremental exercise tests.
Results
Groups receiving creatine supplementation exhibited significantly greater changes in physical performance, peak power output, and fatigue index compared to the placebo group.
The difference between creatine supplement groups and placebo was statistically significant (p = 0.001).
Measures showing creatine superiority over placebo included physical performance tasks (CMVJ, 20-m sprint, L-run), peak power output, and fatigue index.
No significant differences were found among groups regarding mean power output.
Results
Creatine ethyl ester and creatine hydrochloride forms showed superior gains in physical performance and peak power output compared to creatine monohydrate.
Cr-Ee and Cr-Hcl demonstrated significantly greater improvements than Cr-Mon in CMVJ, 20-m sprint, L-run, and peak power (p < 0.05).
These differences emerged after the 4-week intervention period.
The results highlight the effectiveness of the Ee and Hcl forms specifically for short-term physical performance tasks in soccer players.
Results
No significant differences were found among any of the groups regarding mean power output and VO2max.
VO2max, assessed via incremental exercise test, did not differ significantly between creatine and placebo groups.
Mean power output from the Wingate anaerobic test also showed no significant between-group differences.
This suggests creatine supplementation's benefits during this short-term intervention were specific to high-intensity, anaerobic performance parameters rather than aerobic capacity.
Methods
The study design involved a randomized, placebo-controlled comparison of three creatine formulations during a short-term soccer preparation phase.
Participants were collegiate young male soccer players (n=40 total).
The preparation phase lasted 4 weeks with assessments conducted before and after the intervention.
The study examined creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester, and creatine hydrochloride as the three formulations tested against placebo.
What This Means
This research suggests that taking creatine supplements during a 4-week pre-season soccer training program can enhance improvements in explosive physical performance beyond what training alone provides. In a study of 40 male collegiate soccer players, all groups improved after 12 training sessions, but the players taking any form of creatine saw significantly larger gains in jumping ability, sprint speed, agility, and peak anaerobic power compared to those taking a placebo. Notably, creatine did not provide additional benefits for aerobic fitness (VO2max) or average sustained power output.
A particularly notable finding was that not all creatine supplements performed equally. The newer formulations — creatine ethyl ester and creatine hydrochloride — produced greater improvements in jumping, sprinting, agility, and peak power than the more traditional and widely used creatine monohydrate after just four weeks. This suggests that the form of creatine may matter for maximizing short-term performance gains.
This research is relevant for soccer coaches, athletes, and sports nutrition practitioners looking to optimize preparation phases before a competitive season. The findings suggest that including creatine supplementation alongside repeated sprint training may accelerate improvements in the explosive, high-intensity qualities most important in soccer, and that newer creatine formulations may offer advantages over the traditional monohydrate form in this context. However, as with all supplement research, individual responses may vary and further independent replication of these findings would strengthen confidence in the results.
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Duan C, Wang Z, Wang Q. (2026). Creatine formulations and repeated sprint training: effects on physical and physiological adaptations in soccer players during the short-term preparation phase.. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2026.2721147