Short-term Creatine Supplementation Does Not Alter the Hormonal Response to Resistance Training

Purpose: In this study, the effect of short-term creatine supplementation on the growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol response to heavy resistance training was investigated.

Methods: According to a double-blind crossover study design, 11 healthy young male volunteers underwent a 1-h standardized heavy resistance training session (3 series of 10RM; 12 exercises), both before (pretest) and after (posttest) 5 d of either placebo (P, maltodextrine) or creatine (CR; 20 g.d-1, 5 d) supplementation. A 5-wk washout period separated the treatments. Thirty minutes before each training session, CR subjects ingested 10 g of creatine monohydrate (CR) while P subjects received placebo. Venous blood was sampled before, immediately after, and 30 and 60 min after the training session.

Results: The exercise-induced increase (P < 0.05) of serum growth hormone was not altered by acute creatine intake and was similar in P and CR. The weight training session, either or not in conjunction with acute or chronic creatine intake, did not significantly impact on serum testosterone. However, serum cortisol during recovery tended to be higher in CR than in P.

Conclusion: It is concluded that short-term creatine supplementation does not alter the responses of growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol to a single bout of heavy resistance training.