Condition
Martial Arts Performance
Martial arts performance is the blend of explosive power, muscular endurance, quick reactions and fast recovery that strikes, throws and grappling demand. The evidence is strongest for creatine and caffeine, which people use for power output and reaction time. Direct findings are thin, though: one tiny study of 10 people found better blood glucose with creatine, and two small studies found lower blood lactate with sodium bicarbonate.
Sources: PMID 35063192; PMID 18458356
- Supplements studied
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- People studied
- 41
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Lactate (Exercise) Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | 23 people | ||
Studies that measured blood lactate (exercise) | ||||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 6 studies | 23 people | |||
| Rating of Perceived Exertion | Improves (the measure goes up) | 4 studies | 23 people | |||
Studies that measured rating of perceived exertion
| ||||||
| Training Volume | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 23 people | |||
Studies that measured training volume | ||||||
| Judo Performance Metrics | Improves (the measure goes up) | 23 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 8 people | |||
| Muscle Mass | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 studies | 8 people | |||
Studies that measured muscle mass
| ||||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 8 people | |||
| Body Fat | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 8 people | |||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 8 people | |||
Studies that measured high-density lipoprotein (hdl) | ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 8 people | ||||
| Oxygen Uptake | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 8 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 8 people | ||||
| Urea | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 people | ||||
Key findings
- Blood Lactate (Exercise)Improves (the measure goes down)
- Blood glucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
The Martial Arts Performance Enhancement protocol
2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Fullscript collectionMuscle, performance and healthy ageing: evidence-graded picksOpen on Fullscript
The collection holds the supplements we grade A or B for its theme, in third-party tested products where the catalog has them. It opens in our Fullscript store. You can look through it without signing in; Fullscript asks for a free account to order.
We earn from purchases made in our Fullscript store, and links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Full disclosure
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
- 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-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
- 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
- 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
- Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans
- Effects of creatine supplementation on aerobic power and cardiovascular structure and function
- Effect of two and five days of creatine loading on anaerobic working capacity in women
- Effect of creatine phosphate supplementation on anaerobic working capacity and body weight after two and six days of loading in men and women
- Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold in cycle ergometry in college-age men
- Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold during cycle ergometry in college-aged women
- Effect of low-dose, short-duration creatine supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance
- Short-term creatine supplementation does not improve muscle activation or sprint performance in humans
- Creatine supplementation: effects on urinary excretion and anaerobic performance
- Effects of creatine supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue threshold and muscle strength in elderly men and women (64 - 86 years)
- The effect and safety of short-term creatine supplementation on performance of push-ups
- Effects of creatine loading on muscular strength and endurance of female softball players
- The effect of creatine supplementation on muscle fatigue and physiological indices following intermittent swimming bouts
- Creatine supplementation augments the increase in satellite cell and myonuclei number in human skeletal muscle induced by strength training
- Creatine supplementation does not enhance submaximal aerobic training adaptations in healthy young men and women
- Effect of creatine supplementation and resistance-exercise training on muscle insulin-like growth factor in young adults
- Increased IGF mRNA in human skeletal muscle after creatine supplementation
- Effect of creatine supplementation during cast-induced immobilization on the preservation of muscle mass, strength, and endurance
- Creatine supplementation enhances muscle force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals
- The effect of short-term creatine loading on active range of movement
- Acute creatine loading enhances human growth hormone secretion
- Creatine Supplementation and Lower Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
- Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
- The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Resistance Training-Based Changes to Body Composition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
- Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength Gains in Adults <50 Years of Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Upper- and Lower-Body Strength and Power: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Effects of creatine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers after repeated-sprint exercise in humans
- The effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race