Efficacy of Alternative Forms of Creatine Supplementation on Improving Performance and Body Composition in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: Fazio, C, Elder, CL, and Harris, MM. Efficacy of alternative forms of creatine supplementation on improving performance and body composition in healthy subjects: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 36(9): 2663-2670, 2022-Novel forms of creatine have appeared in the marketplace with substantial claims of improved efficacy compared to creatine monohydrate (CrM). The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on alternative forms of creatine to determine (a) whether they are effective ergogenic aids and (b) whether they outperform CrM. A separate comparison was conducted to determine average cost of various forms of creatine. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar were systematically reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines. The design of the review was set to answer the PICOS model (subjects, interventions, comparators, outcomes, and study design). Seventeen randomized placebo controlled clinical trials examining exercise performance outcomes and body composition were included in the analysis. Magnesium-creatine chelate and creatine citrate, malate, ethyl ester, nitrate, and pyruvate were the only forms researched in the literature. Of these studies, only 3 studies compared the alternative creatine form to CrM, making it difficult to compare efficacy to CrM. There were no consistent findings of performance enhancement among alternative forms of creatine when compared to placebo. A review of the marketplace shows that CrM is the lowest cost form of creatine. Due to the paucity of studies on alternative forms of creatine as well as high prices on the market of these alternative forms, CrM remains as the most extensively studied form of creatine that shows efficacy, safety, and lowest cost to consumer.

Analysis of 4 Years of Injury in Professional Rodeo.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze injury frequency, density, location, type, mechanism of injury (MOI), activity phase of injury, and injury risk in professional rodeo. DESIGN: Retrospective epidemiological review. SETTING: Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned rodeos from 2011 to 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association competitors competing in bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie-down roping, and steer wrestling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Injury reports were documented by sports medicine personnel. Variables assessed include event, frequency, density, location, type, MOI, activity phase of injury, and injury density. RESULTS: A total of 2305 injuries from 139,098 competitor exposures (CEs) were reported, demonstrating overall injury density of 16.6 injuries per 1000 CEs (95% confidence interval, 0.016-0.017) and overall risk of injury of 1.69%. Rough stock riders accounted for 88.7% of all injuries. Bull riders, bareback riders, and saddle bronc riders demonstrated injury densities of 48.2, 41.1, and 23.2 injuries per 1000 CEs, respectively. Most injuries (62.9%) were sustained by collisions with the ground or animal, or being stomped on by the animal. Contusions, sprains, and concussions were the most frequent injury types (23.1%, 13.6%, and 11.6%, respectively). Neurological components, knees, and shoulders were the most injured body parts (13.4%, 11.1%, and 11.0%, respectively). Most injuries (36.8%) occurred during or immediately after the dismount. CONCLUSIONS: Rough stock events have the greatest risk of injury in professional rodeo, whereas steer wrestling has the greatest risk of injury for timed event athletes. Medical professionals should use these findings to implement prevention programming where possible.

A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Active Recovery Interventions on Athletic Performance of Professional-, Collegiate-, and Competitive-Level Adult Athletes.

Ortiz Jr, RO, Sinclair Elder, AJ, Elder, CL, and Dawes, JJ. A systematic review on the effectiveness of active recovery interventions on athletic performance of professional-, collegiate-, and competitive-level adult athletes. J Strength Cond Res 33(8): 2275-2287, 2019-Active recovery (AR) is a popular approach to enhancing athlete recovery from participation through physical action, and it has a perceived benefit in the recovery of athletes' enhancement of postexertional physiological status; however, it is unclear whether these recovery techniques enhance athletic performance. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of AR interventions conducted postexertion on athletic performance among professional, collegiate, and competitive adult athletes. Articles were collected via 4 online databases restricted to publication in English between 1998 and 2014. After the evaluation of overlap among the databases and abstract review, 150 potential eligible studies remained. Twenty-six articles involving 471 subjects remained after full analysis. The primary exclusion factor was absence of AR types of interest or measures of performance. The review resulted in a wide variety of findings indicating the vagueness in AR approach and outcome measures, making it difficult to draw specific conclusions. The review demonstrated that AR interventions lasting 6-10 minutes revealed consistently positive effects on performance. The appropriate intensity level of AR sessions was inconclusive in the literature; however, blood lactate clearance rate as a recovery marker appeared unreliable. The review suggests that there are positive psychological outcomes from AR sessions, a need to determine if AR should be individualized in its application, and weak evidence regarding the efficacy of postexercise AR, particularly relating to performance. Future research is needed for reliable and accurate markers for fatigue, physiological recovery, performance, and markers of intensity and duration for AR interventions.

Relationship of Two Vertical Jumping Tests to Sprint and Change of Direction Speed among Male and Female Collegiate Soccer Players.

In collegiate level soccer acceleration, maximal velocity and agility are essential for successful performance. Power production is believed to provide a foundation for these speed qualities. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of change of direction speed, acceleration, and maximal velocity to both the counter movement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) in collegiate soccer players. Thirty-six NCAA Division II soccer players (20 males and 16 females) were tested for speed over 10 and 30 m, CODS (T-test, pro agility) and power (CMJ, SJ). Independent t-tests (p ≤ 0.05) were used to derive gender differences, and Pearson's correlations (p ≤ 0.05) calculated relationships between the different power and speed tests. Female subjects displayed moderate-to-strong correlations between 30 m, pro agility and T-test with the CMJ (r = -0.502 to -0.751), and SJ (r = -0.502 to -0.681). Moderate correlations between 10 and 30 m with CMJ (r = -0.476 and -0.570) and SJ (r = -0.443 and -0.553, respectively) were observed for males. Moderate to strong relationships exist between speed and power attributes in both male and female collegiate soccer players, especially between CMJ and maximal velocity. Improving stretch shortening cycle (SSC) utilization may contribute to enhanced sport-specific speed.

A WORKLOAD SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR THE ÅSTRAND-RYHMING TEST FOR WOMEN.

UNLABELLED: The Åstrand-Ryhming Submaximal Bicycle Test is an accurate and widely used test to estimate maximal oxygen consumption. This test requires a participant to maintain a workload over a 6-min. PERIOD: The issue facing many employing this protocol is the identification of an appropriate workload for the cycling regimen. The present study is designed to identify a method for determining an appropriate workload for female participants. A prior study designed a workload selection procedure specifically for men; however, the selection procedure designed for women in this study was better able to elicit a final heart rate (average of minutes five and six) between 165-170 bpm compared to the original Åstrand-Ryhming procedure.

An analysis of undergraduate exercise science programs: an exercise science curriculum survey.

Undergraduate exercise science programs develop curricula by referring to standards set by professional organizations. A web-based survey was administered to 235 institutions with exercise science undergraduate programs to evaluate their adherence to stated curricular guidelines. Results indicate that 29% of institutions considered American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs); 33% both ACSM and National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) guidelines; 6% ACSM, NASPE, and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); 8% ACSM, NASPE, NSCA, and American Society of Exercise Physiologists, and 5% NASPE. The two largest subgroups had good compliance with the areas of exercise physiology, biomechanics, and human anatomy and physiology. However, neither subgroup adhered to the areas of exercise prescription, testing, and implementation; exercise and aging; or exercise with special populations. Regardless of the implemented guideline(s), most institutions placed minimal emphasis on areas related to health promotion and many curricula did not require any field experience.