Potential advantages and disadvantages of using creatine supplements by professional volleyball players

Creatine, a peptide built from three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine, is one of the most popular diet supplements used by people who train not only strength sports but also other popular disciplines, including team sports, i.a. volleyball. The benefits of creatine supplementation, such as weight, strength and muscle mass gain, are widely known, which translates directly into improved sports performance. However, is it really possible to consider such supplementation as a model solution for absolutely every athlete practicing volleyball? This brief review was intended to summarize the indications and effects of supplementation of volleyball players with creatine, taking into account the theoretical side of potential benefits, i.e. creatine metabolism in the creatine kinase (CK)-phosphocreatine (PCr) system and energetic advantages for muscle cells coming from the "renewing" of the basic useful energy carrier that is ATP (transferring the phosphate group to ADP) by creatine phosphate, as well as visual effects of training achieved in practice by volleyball players after supplementation with creatine, taken mostly in the form of monohydrate. This work also reviews possible potential side effects that are usually the result of exceeding the recommended dose of a supplement or taking preparations that are not subject to appropriate analytical tests, i.e. those who do not have appropriate certificates or attests

Comparative analysis of changes in body composition of young volleyball players during the season

Introduction. The possibility of achieving the highest successes in sport competition is associated with the constant selection from the youngest years of volleyball. Volleyball skills and somatic predispositions are an important factor influencing the selection of juvenile athletes to the representation of the region and national representations. Material and methods. Diagnosis and monitoring of the development of talented athletes enables the selection of the most talented individuals and information for trainers to individualize the development of their proteges. The aim of this work is to compare the changing somatic features during the season in teenage volleyball players. 47 men aged 14-15, who played on the same level of competition, were qualified for the study. The tests were carried out twice before the start league and at the end of the season. The measurement data of 16 somatic features were used. Results and summary. The presented results prove significant changes in individual somatic features during the season. Impact of personal development and training loads, there have been significant changes in the development of the skeleton and muscularity of volleyball players