The effects of BCAA and creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity and ball kicking speed in male football players

Abstract

Background and objective: The use of nutritional supplements has increased in recent years. This study analyzes the effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and creatine (CR) supplementation on anaerobic capacity and ball kicking speed in football players. Material and methods: 24 volunteer-active male amateur football players between 18--26 were recruited for this study. Football players were randomly divided into three groups as BCAA (n = 8), CR (n = 8), and placebo (PLA) (n = 8). Experimental groups were given 5 g BCAA and 2 g creatine before and after exercise, whereas the placebo group ingested bran, performance tests and measurements were performed, and results were assessed. Results: BCAA group average power (pre: 530.70 ± 53.73 W vs. post: 567.65 ± 66.68 W; p = 0.028), CR group minimum power (pre: 413.75 ± 51.13 W vs. post: 462.82 ± 71.93 W; p = 0.043) increased, while there were decreases in peak power (pre: 659.34 ± 121.03 W vs. post: 613.20 ± 124.24 W; p = 0.043) and fatigue index (pre: 6.55 ± 2.12 W/s vs. post: 4.34 ± 2.37 W/s; p = 0.043) parameters of PLA group (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the BCAA group in rest, pre-and post-supplementation; CR group in pre-and post-supplementation; PLA group in rest, pre-and post-supplementation (p < 0.05). Conclusions: BCAA and creatine consumption do not affect recovery rates in football players regarding obtained data. But, regarding other findings of this study, BCAA and creatine supplementation improves anaerobic capacity, provides strength endurance against fatigue, and prevents the decrement of ball-kicking speed in exhaustion.

Investigating the Impact of Varied Dosages of Royal Jelly Consumption on Creatine Kinase and Interleukin-6 Levels Post High-Intensity Resistance Training

“…However, the HRJ experienced a significant reduction in CK levels following high-intensity physical exercise. Conversely, the placebo group (PLA) showed a significant increase in CK levels, which is consistent with previous research indicating that individuals without nutritional intervention experience a substantial rise in CK levels and a slower recovery process in the following 24-72 hours (De Moura et al, 2012;Jurjiu et al, 2021;Mor et al, 2021).…”

Effects of Four Weeks of In-Season Pre-Workout Supplementation on Performance, Body Composition, Muscle Damage, and Health-Related Markers in Basketball Players: A Randomized Controlled Study

“…More specifically, chronic creatine supplementation has been suggested for intermittent sports athletes (like basketball players), since high-intensity repeated exercise performance is typically increased by 10% to 20% depending on muscle PCr enhancement following creatine loading [ 52 ]. BCAA consumption could also enhance anaerobic performance, since short-term (seven days of 5 g/day) supplementation seems to improve anaerobic performance in football players during the RAST test [ 62 ]. On the other hand, long-term consumption of caffeine or citrulline malate does not seem to contribute to anaerobic performance improvements, since limited evidence exists [ 47 , 51 ].…”

“…The observed decreases in anaerobic power could be attributed to the accumulated fatigue of basketball players from frequent, exhausting matches and training sessions, as the study was conducted during the late stages of the in-season period [61]. Although it was expected that the intervention period would lead to enhancements in anaerobic power, attributed to certain ingredients found in this PWS, such as creatine, β-alanine, and/or BCAAs, which been reported to improve anaerobic performance [46,52,62], no such effect was observed. Ingredients such as creatine and β-alanine supplementation may exert a favorable effect on anaerobic performance after long-term consumption [46,52].…”

Moderate-dose caffeine enhances anaerobic performance without altering hydration status

“…Participants were told to kick for accuracy (hitting the target) while attaining the maximum ball-kicking speed. Each player was given two trials to get the best score, and the results were recorded in km/h ( 31 ).…”