CREATINE FOR CURLERS

Curling is often perceived as a slow-paced purely skill-based sport, but anyone who has spent time on the ice knows the intense physical demands it can impose. Based on the sweeping profile, we can see that curling requires repeated explosive efforts in order to make shots successfully.

One performance supplement that has gained attention across various sports is creatine. As you will soon see, it’s one of the most heavily researched and supported ergogenic aids. But what is creatine, and how might this substance benefit curling training and performance?

summary

What is creatine?

Natural compound stored in muscles
Plays key role in energy production.
Safe and permitted by WADA, making it suitable for athletes.

The PCr energy system:

Regenerates ATP for short, intense bursts of activity.
Essential for high-power movements lasting up to 15 seconds.

Curling performance:

5-15% more work performed in repeated exertions.
Increased mean power.
Increased time to exhaustion.

Training:

Greater strength and power improvements.
Greater lean muscle mass increases.
Only alongside resistance training.

Recovery:

Creatine aids recovery between intense efforts.
May help reduce muscle inflammation, though more research on this is ongoing.

Recommendations:

Loading phase - 5g, four times a day, for 5–7 days.
Maintenance dose - 3–5g daily.
Creatine monohydrate is the best-researched form.

Safety:

Creatine is safe and well-researched.
Weight gain as the main side effect, attributed to water retention [non-harmful].
Renal issues reported but not supported by evidence.

Future research:

Study on creatine's effects on sweeping performance would provide valuable insights.

what is creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in a balanced diet, from sources such as meat and fish. Notably, creatine is not currently included on the WADA prohibited list, so curlers who may be subject to doping control can supplement creatine.

Creatine is stored in muscle tissue, mainly as phosphocreatine [PCr], and supplementation has been shown to increase these stores by 10-40% [Harris et al., 1992]. The substance plays a crucial role in energy production within our muscles as a key component of the PCr energy system.

the PCr energy system

The PCr energy system is one of four systems providing energy for exercise. These systems work simultaneously, with one being dominant depending on the activity’s intensity and duration.

Adenosine triphosphate [ATP] is the key molecule which releases energy when broken down into adenosine diphosphate [ADP], losing an inorganic phosphate [Pi]. Free ATP only lasts a few seconds [for example, one big muscle contraction] and then needs to be resynthesized. PCr donates a phosphate group to rebuild ADP into ATP, which can then be broken down again to release energy.

The result of this recycling is that the PCr system allows for rapid ATP regeneration and is the dominant energy system up to 10-15s of maximal exercise [Gastin, 2001]. This fuels muscular contractions for short bursts of high-intensity activity. Greater levels of total creatine available, due to supplementation allows for a greater capacity to resynthesise ATP quickly, enhancing high-intensity exercise performance [Kreider et al., 2017].

curling performance

Though curling might not be the first sport that comes to mind when thinking about explosive energy demands, it requires repeated high intensity bursts of power during sweeping. This activity could benefit significantly from increased muscle creatine stores.

These intense sweeping bursts, or intervals, often last 5-20 seconds, closely mirroring the conditions where the PCr energy system is dominant. Creatine supplementation has the potential to allow curlers to maintain sweeping intensity for longer and recover faster between exertions.

The review published by Kreider [2003], investigated the effects of short-term creatine supplementation on performance metrics, finding that with creatine, compared to without, maximal power/strength improved by 5-15%, single-effort sprint performance improved by 1-5%, and work performed during repetitive sprints was 5-15% higher. If these benefits translated to sweeping, a 5-15% total performance increase would be highly desirable to curlers.

More recently, a randomised control trial using a double-blind design investigated creatine’s effects on repeated sprint performance [Bogdanis et al., 2022]. Six 10-second sprints were performed with 30 seconds of rest between each. After just five days of creatine supplementation, results showed a significant increase in mean power output during the last five seconds of all six sprints, with no change observed in the placebo group. The subjects were able to maintain the intensity of each exertion more effectively with creatine - This sounds like it would be particularly beneficial to a curler’s sweeping.

The systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating creatine supplementation and repeated sprint performance, published by Glaister and Rhodes [2022], further highlights these ergogenic effects. They determined that creatine supplementation significantly increased mean power output relative to a placebo. They also found significant increases in body mass, likely due to increased skeletal muscle mass and water retention [Ribeiro et al., 2020].

Creatine has also been shown to have endurance benefits, which may support curlers in sustaining sweeping performance over longer periods. Forbes et al. [2023] found creatine supplementation to increase time to exhaustion, attributed to increased anaerobic work capacity. It was suggested that creatine is more effective at improving performances requiring multiple intensity surges.

5-15% more work performed in repeated exertions, increased mean power, and increased time to exhaustion. These findings all point towards creatine being particularly beneficial for a curler’s sweeping performance.

training

Creatine supplementation isn’t just about directly improving game-day performance; it can also help optimise training to ensure athletes air in peak condition before hitting the ice.

Creatine has been shown to increase adaptations with resistance training. In a review of 22 studies, Rawson and Volek [2003] found that supplementation led to increased work volume and output during resistance training, likely leading to greater gains. Supplementation enables individuals to complete more reps and tougher sets, potentially resulting in greater strength, hypertrophy, and power. However, the researchers noted that responses to creatine vary, with some individuals responding significantly and others not at all.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of creatine, resistance training, and hypertrophy, Burke et al. [2023] found marginally greater increases in muscle growth with supplementation than in placebo groups. This effect was observed in both the upper and lower body, and was greater in younger individuals.

Another recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Desai et al. [2024] found significantly higher increases in lean body mass with creatine supplementation [mean = 1.14 kg]. Whilst this does include water retention, this phenomenon may indicate ongoing protein synthesis, which could lead to improved lean body mass. Finally, the study emphasized the need to combine creatine with consistent resistance training to experience these ergogenic benefits, as creatine alone does not affect body composition.

Creatine has been shown to elevate the effects of resistance training: greater strength, greater power, and increased lean muscle mass. Improvements in these areas allow curlers to play with higher physical intensity, potentially leading to better performances.

recovery

Recovery describes various processes of returning to a normal physiological state after exercise. Creatine appears to support recovery in several ways.

The term can refer to the rest periods between anaerobic sprints in the study by Bogdanis et al. [2022], where 6 x 10-second sprints were performed, separated by 30-second rest periods. The subsequent increase in later sprint performance, with creatine supplementation, indicates improved recovery to perform effectively again, during an intermittent style of exercise.

The review by Kin et al. [2015] summarised creatine’s effect on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage, an emerging research area with contradictory findings. The review concluded that several pathways existed in which creatine could reduce inflammation and promote recovery. It is clear, however, that there is no clear consensus yet and that further research is necessary to better understand this area, but it is unlikely that creatine would negatively affect recovery [Wax et al., 2021].

The ability to recover between shots will mean an athlete can exert themselves more effectively for more shots, and also feel ‘fresher’ when it comes to deliver their own stones, potentially giving a performance advantage. If there is a chance creatine may help reduce inflammation and promote muscle recovery, and the substance has no clear drawbacks, it seems worthwhile to supplement to support performance over the course of competitions.

recommendations

The International Society of Sports Nutrition [Kreider et al., 2017] recommends a loading phase, consuming 5g of creatine monohydrate four times a day for 5–7 days to effectively increase muscle creatine stores. Once at saturation, a maintenance dose of 3–5g daily is suggested. Creatine should be consumed with carbohydrate and protein to optimise retention.

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched form of creatine, and no other form has shown better retention in skeletal muscle. It is affordable and widely available, making it accessible for any curler.

safety

Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements, with the International Society of Sports Nutrition outlining clear evidence of its safety [Kreider et al., 2017]. Since the supplement’s first ergogenic use is the 90s, over 1,000 studies have been published on the topic. There are now a vast number of high quality randomised control trials and meta-analyses supporting the effectiveness of creatine as a supplement for sports and exercise performance, with reports of side effects being trivial.

The only consistently reported side effect is weight gain, likely due to water retention and indicating protein synthesis. Although some reports have suggested creatine may cause renal issues, research has consistently found no evidence to support these claims.

future research

Given the demands of curling, creatine may be a valuable supplement to support performance in this sport. To confirm its effectiveness, research comparing repeated sweeping interval performance with creatine supplementation versus a placebo would be helpful. I suggest a randomized control trial similar to that by Bogdanis et al. [2022] to assess whether creatine enhances sweeping power output.