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Ice Hockey Performance

Ice hockey performance is the ability to produce explosive power, speed and agility across repeated high-intensity efforts while handling physical contact. Creatine is a main supplement people look at for this, and studies found anaerobic capacity improved. That evidence is limited, though: the studies were small and involved just 17 people in total, so the picture for hockey players is still early.

Sources: PMID 14625517; PMID 20543729

Supplements studied
1
Graded outcomes
1
Trials
1
People studied
17

Evidence by supplement

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

1 supplement

Creatine: outcomes studied for Ice Hockey Performance
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Anaerobic Capacity

Small Improvement

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect11 studies17 people
Power OutputImproves (the measure goes up)44 studies17 people

Key findings

  • Anaerobic CapacityCreatineImproves (the measure goes up)

The Ice Hockey Performance Enhancement protocol

2 primary supplements · 4 supporting supplements

See the full protocol

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Studies cited

55 studies from PubMed

  1. Comparison of creatine monohydrate and carbohydrate supplementation on repeated jump height performanceJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 18545204
  2. Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Jumping Performance in Elite Volleyball PlayersInt J Sports Physiol Perform · PMID 21941005
  3. The effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation on sprint skating in ice-hockey playersJ Sports Med Phys Fitness · PMID 16596105
  4. Influence of creatine supplementation on 800 m wheelchair performance: a pilot studySpinal Cord · PMID 16172624
  5. Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humansJ Physiol · PMID 11600695
  6. The effects of creatine supplementation on performance during the repeated bouts of supramaximal exerciseJ Sports Med Phys Fitness · PMID 16446682
  7. Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trialNeurorehabil Neural Repair · PMID 17312085
  8. Combined creatine and sodium bicarbonate supplementation enhances interval swimmingJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 15142001
  9. Effects of acute creatine loading with or without carbohydrate on repeated bouts of maximal swimming in high-performance swimmersJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 15903360
  10. Creatine supplementation improves the anaerobic performance of elite junior fin swimmersActa Physiol Hung · PMID 19706374
  11. Low dose creatine supplementation enhances sprint phase of 400 meters swimming performanceJ Med Assoc Thai · PMID 16083193
  12. Effect of creatine on swimming velocity, body composition and hydrodynamic variablesJ Sports Med Phys Fitness · PMID 17369799
  13. Effect of oral creatine supplementation on single-effort sprint performance in elite swimmersInt J Sport Nutr · PMID 8876342
  14. The effects of creatine loading on thermoregulation and intermittent sprint exercise performance in a hot humid environmentJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 17685723
  15. Creatine supplementation and multiple sprint running performanceJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 16686553
  16. The effects of acute creatine supplementation on multiple sprint cycling and running performance in rugby playersJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 15705052
  17. The effects of creatine loading and gender on anaerobic running capacityJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 20543729
  18. Creatine supplementation and performance in 6 consecutive 60 meter sprintsJ Physiol Biochem · PMID 15957245
  19. Creatine supplementation: effects on urinary excretion and anaerobic performanceJ Sports Med Phys Fitness · PMID 14625517
  20. Short-term creatine supplementation does not improve muscle activation or sprint performance in humansEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 14574579
  21. Physiological responses to short-term exercise in the heat after creatine loadingMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 11445756
  22. Mg2+-creatine chelate and a low-dose creatine supplementation regimen improve exercise performanceJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 15142029
  23. Effects of creatine supplementation and three days of resistance training on muscle strength, power output, and neuromuscular functionJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 17685691
  24. Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performanceEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 21207054
  25. The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trialJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 19909536
  26. Effects of high dose oral creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity of elite wrestlersJ Sports Med Phys Fitness · PMID 14767410
  27. Effects of two and five days of creatine loading on muscular strength and anaerobic power in trained athletesJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 19387386
  28. Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1Mol Cell Endocrinol · PMID 20026378
  29. Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained womenJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 17194243
  30. Creatine as a metabolic controller of skeletal muscles structure and function in strength exercises in humansRoss Fiziol Zh Im I M Sechenova · PMID 16613062
  31. The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreachingEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 14685870
  32. Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power outputJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 19387397
  33. Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adultsJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 21512399
  34. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strengthJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 23919405
  35. The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older menJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 20126965
  36. Effect of thirty days of creatine supplementation with phosphate salts on anaerobic working capacity and body weight in menJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 18438234
  37. The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength and powerJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 21068676
  38. Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on neuromuscular functionMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 19727018
  39. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletesInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 17136944
  40. Effects of four weeks of high-intensity interval training and creatine supplementation on critical power and anaerobic working capacity in college-aged menJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 19675499
  41. Does nutritional supplementation influence adaptability of muscle to resistance training in men aged 48 to 72 yearsJ Geriatr Phys Ther · PMID 16236227
  42. Effect of creatine ingestion after exercise on muscle thickness in males and femalesMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 15595301
  43. Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular diseaseNeurology · PMID 10078740
  44. Creatine supplementation and physical training in patients with COPD: a double blind, placebo-controlled studyInt J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · PMID 18044100
  45. The Paradoxical Effect of Creatine Monohydrate on Muscle Damage Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSports Med · PMID 35218552
  46. Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humansInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 14967873
  47. The effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without D-pinitol on resistance training adaptationsJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 19858753
  48. Creatine supplementation improves muscular performance in older womenEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 17943308
  49. Effects of creatine supplementation in taekwondo practitionersNutr Hosp · PMID 23822690
  50. Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetariansMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 14600563
  51. Creatine fails to augment the benefits from resistance training in patients with HIV infection: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studyPLoS One · PMID 19242554
  52. Effect of in-season creatine supplementation on body composition and performance in rugby union football playersAppl Physiol Nutr Metab · PMID 18059577
  53. The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levelsJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 19228401
  54. Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performanceInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 19033611
  55. Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance training on energy expenditure and limb blood flowMetabolism · PMID 11735088