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Short-term creatine supplementation enhances strength, reduces fatigue, and accelerates recovery in resistance-trained athletes: a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial

Atef Salem, Achraf Ammar, Mohamed Kerkeni, Mohamed Ali Boujelbane, Ayse Merve Uyar, Leonard Moritz Köbel, Saranya Selvaraj, Reza Zare, Katie M Heinrich, Haitham Jahrami, Slim Tounsi, Giuseppe Grosso, Wolfgang I Schöllhorn, Khaled Trabelsi, Hamdi Chtourou
J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2026 22(Suppl 1):2617283

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41579075
PubMed Central
PMC12833896
DOI
10.1080/15502783.2026.2617283
Funding
The authors reported that the research received no external funding.
Competing interests
The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignDouble-blind randomized crossover placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman
Sample11 physically active men recruited; 10 analyzed (mean age 21.3 years)
InterventionCreatine monohydrate 0.3 g/kg/day versus placebo for 3 days; first-day dose consumed 2 hours before testing and later doses divided across the day
Duration3 days per condition with a 7-day washout between crossover conditions
EndpointsBench-press and back-squat repetitions; Velocity and peak power; Heart-rate variability; Countermovement and squat jump; Delayed-onset muscle soreness; Peak heart rate

What the study showed, in plain terms

Small 2026 crossover trial testing whether a three-day high-dose creatine protocol changes repeated resistance performance and short-term recovery in trained young men.

Key findings

Creatine improved several repetitions, velocity and power outcomes and reduced selected soreness/recovery measures versus placebo. Results support a possible rapid high-dose performance effect but come from only 10 analyzed participants.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Very small sample, young men only, many performance and recovery endpoints, and only three days of supplementation. The crossover washout was seven days; because elevated tissue creatine can persist longer than one week and muscle creatine was not measured, residual carryover cannot be excluded. Findings should not override larger meta-analyses showing mixed recovery and inflammation effects.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction