Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Gummies on Performance and Body Composition in Female Beach Volleyball Athletes

TL;DR

This study found that creatine gummies improved jump and change-of-direction performance and helped maintain body composition in female beach volleyball athletes.

Contribution

The study introduces creatine monohydrate gummies as an effective supplement for female beach volleyball athletes, a novel delivery method in this population.

Findings

Creatine gummies improved countermovement jump height and change-of-direction speed in female athletes.

Supplementation helped maintain body composition by reducing body fat mass and percentage.

No significant changes were observed in lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass, or reaction time.

Abstract

Background: Beach volleyball is a high-intensity, intermittent sport requiring repeated explosive actions and rapid changes of direction performed on an unstable sand surface. Creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation has consistently been shown to enhance short-duration, high-intensity performance; however, evidence in female athletes and sport-specific contexts in beach volleyball remains limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of CrM supplementation delivered in gummy form on physical performance outcomes, body composition, and reaction time in female beach volleyball athletes. Methods: Thirty-two female collegiate and professional beach volleyball athletes completed a 10-week randomized controlled trial and were assigned to either CrM, 5 g·day−1 group (n = 17) or control group (n = 15). Countermovement jump (CMJ) height, change-of-direction speed (CODS), body composition, and reaction time were assessed before and after the intervention. Outcomes were analyzed using mixed-model analyses of variance. Results: Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for CMJ height and CODS, with the CrM group demonstrating improvements in jump height (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.34) and faster change-of-direction performance (p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.21), while the control group showed no improvement or performance declines. Significant Group × Time interactions were also observed for body fat mass (p = 0.024, ηp2 = 0.16), body fat percentage (p = 0.015, ηp2 = 0.18), and total body water (p = 0.038, ηp2 = 0.14). No significant interactions were observed for lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass, total body mass, or reaction time. Conclusions: CrM supplementation delivered in gummy form enhanced selected performance outcomes and helped maintain body composition in female beach volleyball athletes. These findings support creatine gummies as a practical supplementation strategy in this population.

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