Introduction
fatigue, collegiate dancers, lean mass, collegiate
Exogenous creatine monohydrate (CR) supplementation is a safe and effective ergogenic aid commonly ingested by athletes to increase lean mass (LM), improve muscular power and strength, and promote skeletal muscle adaptations [In addition to LM and muscle performance improvements, CR supplementation has been shown to possibly increase measures of cognitive function by increasing serotonin levels in the brain [The vast majority of research involving CR supplementation has focused on young healthy males, with minimal attention given to young females [CR supplementation in dancers has not been investigated. CR supplementation may elicit numerous benefits unique to the collegiate dancer since their environment poses distinct physical and academic demands. The collegiate eating environment and lack of strength and conditioning programming make it difficult for collegiate dancers to obtain an optimal body composition. Additionally, collegiate dancers often experience mental fatigue due to balancing academic and performance schedules longitudinally (i.e. nine months per year for an average of four years). Therefore, CR supplementation may be a novel solution to improve body composition, increase muscular strength and power, and improve cognitive function in collegiate dancers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-week CR supplementation intervention on body composition, anaerobic fitness, and cognition in female collegiate dancers. It was hypothesized that CR supplementation would result in increases in LM, anaerobic power, and cognitive function compared to placebo.