Condition
Volleyball Performance
Volleyball performance rests on repeated jumps, fast reactions and long rallies, which load the legs, shoulders and core. Creatine, caffeine and beta-alanine have the strongest evidence for power, jump height and repeated jumping, including a beta-alanine meta-analysis on sprint and jump performance. Volleyball-specific results are thin, though: the only volleyball study of HMB, in 29 people, found no clear difference in cortisol.
Sources: PMID 22270875
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 2
- People studied
- 41
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortisol No effect | NoneNo effect | 29 people | ||||
| Muscle Mass | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 studies | 29 people | |||
Studies that measured muscle mass
| ||||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 58 people | |||
| Growth Hormone | Improves (the measure goes up) | 29 people | ||||
| IGF-1 | Improves (the measure goes up) | 29 people | ||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 29 people | ||||
| Testosterone | Improves (the measure goes up) | 29 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 44 studies | 12 people | |||
Studies that measured power output
| ||||||
Key findings
- Cortisol
The Volleyball 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 products from the Fullscript catalog. 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
54 studies from PubMed
- β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate free acid reduces markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and improves recovery in resistance-trained men
- Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplementation on strength and body composition in trained and competitive athletes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Supplementation with the Leucine Metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) does not Improve Resistance Exercise-Induced Changes in Body Composition or Strength in Young Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of oral administration of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate on lean body mass in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of oral supplementation of β -hydroxy-β -methylbutyrate on muscle mass and strength in individuals over the age of 50: a meta-analysis.
- Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate ingestion, Part I: effects on strength and fat free mass
- Effects of nine weeks of beta-hydroxy-beta- methylbutyrate supplementation on strength and body composition in resistance trained men
- Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation does not affect changes in strength or body composition during resistance training in trained men
- The effect of HMB supplementation on body composition, fitness, hormonal and inflammatory mediators in elite adolescent volleyball players: a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Body composition in 70-year-old adults responds to dietary beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate similarly to that of young adults
- Comparison of creatine monohydrate and carbohydrate supplementation on repeated jump height performance
- Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Jumping Performance in Elite Volleyball Players
- Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans
- Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trial
- Effects of acute creatine loading with or without carbohydrate on repeated bouts of maximal swimming in high-performance swimmers
- Creatine supplementation improves the anaerobic performance of elite junior fin swimmers
- Low dose creatine supplementation enhances sprint phase of 400 meters swimming performance
- Effect of creatine on swimming velocity, body composition and hydrodynamic variables
- Effect of oral creatine supplementation on single-effort sprint performance in elite swimmers
- Physiological responses to short-term exercise in the heat after creatine loading
- Mg2+-creatine chelate and a low-dose creatine supplementation regimen improve exercise performance
- Effects of creatine supplementation and three days of resistance training on muscle strength, power output, and neuromuscular function
- Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performance
- The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of high dose oral creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity of elite wrestlers
- Effects of two and five days of creatine loading on muscular strength and anaerobic power in trained athletes
- Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1
- Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained women
- Creatine as a metabolic controller of skeletal muscles structure and function in strength exercises in humans
- The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching
- Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output
- Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults
- The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength
- The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older men
- Effect of thirty days of creatine supplementation with phosphate salts on anaerobic working capacity and body weight in men
- The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength and power
- Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on neuromuscular function
- Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes
- Effects of four weeks of high-intensity interval training and creatine supplementation on critical power and anaerobic working capacity in college-aged men
- Does nutritional supplementation influence adaptability of muscle to resistance training in men aged 48 to 72 years
- Effect of creatine ingestion after exercise on muscle thickness in males and females
- Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease
- Creatine supplementation and physical training in patients with COPD: a double blind, placebo-controlled study
- The Paradoxical Effect of Creatine Monohydrate on Muscle Damage Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humans
- The effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without D-pinitol on resistance training adaptations
- Creatine supplementation improves muscular performance in older women
- Effects of creatine supplementation in taekwondo practitioners
- Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians
- Creatine fails to augment the benefits from resistance training in patients with HIV infection: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Effect of in-season creatine supplementation on body composition and performance in rugby union football players
- The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels
- Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performance
- Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance training on energy expenditure and limb blood flow