Condition
Football Performance
Football, whether soccer or American, asks the body for endurance, speed, power, agility and the ability to repeat hard efforts again and again. Creatine has the strongest evidence among supplements for those explosive, repeated efforts, and in a small study of 20 people beta-alanine eased fatigue symptoms. Still, findings here are sparse and small, and HMB showed no clear difference in anaerobic capacity in 28 people, so the picture is far from settled.
Sources: PMID 22270875
- Supplements studied
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 4
- Trials
- 6
- People studied
- 176
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilirubin No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 23 people | |||
Studies that measured bilirubin | ||||||
| Creatinine | Improves (the measure goes up) | 3 studies | 23 people | |||
Studies that measured creatinine
| ||||||
| Urea | Improves (the measure goes up) | 23 people | ||||
HMB
- Anaerobic Capacity
- Muscle Mass: improves
- Muscle Soreness: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaerobic Capacity No effect | NoneNo effect | 28 people | ||||
| Muscle Mass | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 studies | 28 people | |||
Studies that measured muscle mass
| ||||||
| Muscle Soreness | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 26 people | |||
Studies that measured muscle soreness | ||||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 54 people | |||
| Body Fat | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 28 people | |||
| Muscle Damage | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 26 people | |||
| Cortisol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 26 people | ||||
| Fatigue Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 26 people | ||||
| Testosterone | Improves (the measure goes up) | 26 people | ||||
| Training Volume | Improves (the measure goes up) | 26 people | ||||
Pyruvate
- Power Output: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 42 people | |||
Key findings
- Fatigue SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Bilirubin
- Anaerobic Capacity
The Football Performance Enhancement protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- Creatine Monohydrate3–5 g daily (or 20 g/day x 5–7 days loading, then 3–5 g maintenance)
- Beta-Alanine3–6 g daily (divided doses to reduce tingling)
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Studies cited
100 studies from PubMed
- The Role of HMB Supplementation in Enhancing the Effects of Resistance Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Muscle Quality, Body Composition, and Physical Function.
- Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on lipid profile in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Does creatine supplementation improve glycemic control and insulin resistance in healthy and diabetic patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- HMB Supplementation in Elderly Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Efficacy of HMB in Hospitalized Older Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Beta-Alanine and High-Intensity Exercise Capacity: A Systematic Review
- Beta-Alanine Supplementation in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
- Beta-Alanine Effects on Tactical Performance: A Review
- HMB for Preservation of Muscle Mass in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
- Effects of HMB on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Meta-Analysis
- Effects of HMB on Skeletal Muscle in Catabolic Conditions
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Beta-Alanine
- Effects of Beta-Alanine on Carnosine Content and Exercise Performance
- Safety and Efficacy of Beta-Alanine Supplementation: A Review
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB)
- Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate and Muscle Protein Synthesis: A Review
- HMB for Prevention of Sarcopenia in Older Adults: Clinical Evidence
- HMB and Resistance Training: A Comprehensive Review
- Beta-Alanine Supplementation and Exercise Performance: A Meta-Analysis
- Paresthesia from Beta-Alanine: Mechanisms and Mitigation
- Effects of HMB Supplementation on Strength and Muscle Mass: A Meta-Analysis
- Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate Free Acid and Muscle Protein Anabolism
- Safety and Tolerability of Long-Term HMB Supplementation
- Role of creatine supplementation on exercise-induced cardiovascular function and oxidative stress
- Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players
- Does creatine supplementation improve the plasma lipid profile in healthy male subjects undergoing aerobic training
- Effects of creatine supplementation on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in sedentary healthy males undergoing aerobic training
- Creatine supplementation increases glycogen storage but not GLUT-4 expression in human skeletal muscle
- Creatine supplementation affects glucose homeostasis but not insulin secretion in humans
- Creatine supplementation and health variables: a retrospective study
- Effect of oral creatine supplementation on human muscle GLUT4 protein content after immobilization
- Role of submaximal exercise in promoting creatine and glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle
- Effects of 28 days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on aerobic power, ventilatory and lactate thresholds, and time to exhaustion
- Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis
- The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on power performance during repeated sprint activity
- beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters
- Effect of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Maximal Intensity Exercise in Trained Young Male Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise
- Effect of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) during treadmill running: Pre/post 2 treatment experimental design
- Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue and ventilatory threshold in women
- Effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trial
- Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold
- Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Six weeks of high-intensity interval training with and without beta-alanine supplementation for improving cardiovascular fitness in women
- Important role of muscle carnosine in rowing performance
- β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Physical Performance in Aerobic-Anaerobic Transition Zones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players
- Short-duration beta-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings of fatigue in college football players
- Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on Yo-Yo test performance: A meta-analysis.
- The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular fatigue in elderly (55-92 Years): a double-blind randomized study
- Effect of Carnosine or β-Alanine Supplementation on Markers of Glycemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Humans and Animals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Fourteen weeks of β-alanine supplementation and HIIT did not improve serum BDNF concentrations and Stroop test performance.
- Effect of creatine monohydrate in improving cellular energetics and muscle strength in ambulatory Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients: a randomized, placebo-controlled 31P MRS study
- Creatine for treating muscle disorders.
- Creatine monohydrate enhances strength and body composition in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance training on energy expenditure and limb blood flow
- Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performance
- The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels
- Effect of in-season creatine supplementation on body composition and performance in rugby union football players
- Creatine fails to augment the benefits from resistance training in patients with HIV infection: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians
- Effects of creatine supplementation in taekwondo practitioners
- Creatine supplementation improves muscular performance in older women
- The effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without D-pinitol on resistance training adaptations
- Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humans
- Creatine monohydrate supplementation on body weight and percent body fat
- Reliability and detecting change following short-term creatine supplementation: comparison of two-component body composition methods
- Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain
- Efficacy of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Muscle Mass in Older Females: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The Paradoxical Effect of Creatine Monohydrate on Muscle Damage Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Creatine supplementation and physical training in patients with COPD: a double blind, placebo-controlled study
- Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease
- Effect of creatine ingestion after exercise on muscle thickness in males and females
- Does nutritional supplementation influence adaptability of muscle to resistance training in men aged 48 to 72 years
- Effects of four weeks of high-intensity interval training and creatine supplementation on critical power and anaerobic working capacity in college-aged men
- Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes
- Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on neuromuscular function
- The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength and power
- Effect of thirty days of creatine supplementation with phosphate salts on anaerobic working capacity and body weight in men
- The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older men
- The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength
- Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults
- Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output
- The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching
- Creatine as a metabolic controller of skeletal muscles structure and function in strength exercises in humans
- Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained women
- Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1
- Effects of two and five days of creatine loading on muscular strength and anaerobic power in trained athletes
- Effects of high dose oral creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity of elite wrestlers
- The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial
- Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performance
- Effects of creatine supplementation and three days of resistance training on muscle strength, power output, and neuromuscular function
- Mg2+-creatine chelate and a low-dose creatine supplementation regimen improve exercise performance
- Physiological responses to short-term exercise in the heat after creatine loading
- Skeletal muscle total creatine content and creatine transporter gene expression in vegetarians prior to and following creatine supplementation
- Muscle glycogen supercompensation is enhanced by prior creatine supplementation
- Effect of creatine on aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in skeletal muscle in swimmers
- Parallel increases in phosphocreatine and total creatine in human vastus lateralis muscle during creatine supplementation
- Creatine supplementation reduces muscle inosine monophosphate during endurance exercise in humans