Will Creatine Supplementation Help Your AFT Performance?

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If you're serious about optimizing your performance on the Army Fitness Test (AFT), then you've likely heard about creatine supplementation. As one of the most researched and proven supplements available, creatine has earned its reputation as an effective performance enhancer for both strength and power activities. But how exactly can it benefit service members preparing for the AFT, and what's the most effective way to use it?

This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about creatine supplementation specifically for military personnel, helping you make an informed decision about whether this supplement is right for your AFT preparation.

What Is Creatine and How Does It Work?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in muscle cells that plays a crucial role in energy production during high-intensity, short-duration activities. Your body produces about 1-2 grams of creatine daily, primarily in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Additional creatine comes from dietary sources like meat and fish, with beef, pork, and salmon containing approximately 2-5 grams per pound.

The Science Behind Creatine

At its core, creatine functions as part of the phosphocreatine energy system, which is your body's fastest way to regenerate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy currency of your cells. During intense exercise like maximum deadlifts or sprint-drag-carry, your muscles rapidly use ATP. When this happens, creatine phosphate donates its phosphate group to ADP (adenosine diphosphate) to quickly regenerate ATP, allowing continued high-intensity effort.

By supplementing with creatine, you increase your muscle's phosphocreatine stores by approximately 10-40%, enhancing your capacity to regenerate ATP during high-intensity exercise. This translates to:

• Increased power output during short, explosive activities
• Enhanced strength for maximal efforts
• Improved endurance during repeated high-intensity efforts
• Faster recovery between sets or efforts

How Creatine Can Benefit Your AFT Performance

The Army Fitness Test consists of five events that measure different aspects of military readiness. Let's break down how creatine supplementation can specifically benefit each component:

3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL)

The deadlift event directly tests your lower body and grip strength by requiring three consecutive repetitions at maximum weight.

Creatine Benefits:

• Increases phosphocreatine availability for ATP regeneration during maximal strength efforts
• Enhances neuromuscular recruitment, potentially allowing you to activate more muscle fibers
• May allow for 5-15% improvements in maximum strength performance
• Supports recovery between the three repetitions, helping maintain form and power on the final rep

Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP)

This event measures upper body endurance over a 2-minute period, testing your capacity to repeatedly generate force with your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Creatine Benefits:

• Improves performance in repeated, high-intensity muscle contractions
• Delays fatigue during high-rep sets
• Enhances recovery between repetitions
• Particularly beneficial for the first 30-60 seconds when maximum output is possible

Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC)

This multi-element event combines sprinting, dragging, lateral movement, and weighted carries—all activities that heavily tax your anaerobic energy systems.

Creatine Benefits:

• Significantly enhances performance in short sprints (up to 30% improvement in some studies)
• Improves power output during the sled drag portion
• Helps maintain high effort across all five shuttles
• Potentially reduces the performance decline between the first and last shuttle

Plank

The plank tests your core endurance and stability while maintaining proper body alignment.

Creatine Benefits:

• May enhance isometric muscular endurance
• Could help maintain proper form during extended holds
• Provides additional benefits when combined with core-specific training

2-Mile Run

The 2-mile run assesses aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

Creatine Benefits:

• Mixed evidence for endurance performance benefits
• Some research suggests potential benefits for interval-based training to improve run times
• May indirectly benefit through enhanced training capacity in preparation phases

Optimal Creatine Protocol for AFT Preparation

Based on current scientific consensus and military-specific considerations, here's the optimal creatine supplementation protocol for AFT preparation:

Form Selection

Recommendation: Creatine Monohydrate

Despite numerous alternative forms on the market (ethyl ester, HCL, buffered, etc.), creatine monohydrate remains the most well-researched, effective, and cost-efficient form available. Don't be swayed by marketing claims—stick with what science consistently supports.

Dosing Strategies

Option 1: Loading Protocol (Fastest Results)

• Loading Phase (5-7 days): 20-25g daily, divided into 4-5 doses of 5g each
• Maintenance Phase: 3-5g daily in a single dose

Option 2: Gradual Protocol (Fewer Side Effects)

• Daily Dose: 3-5g daily consistently
• Timeline: Takes approximately 3-4 weeks to reach full saturation

Timing Considerations

• Take with meals to enhance absorption
• Consume with carbohydrates to improve creatine uptake (approximately 30-50g carbs)
• Post-workout may offer slight advantages for absorption due to increased blood flow to muscles
• Consistency is key—find a schedule that works for your routine

Creatine Safety and Side Effects

The safety profile of creatine is extremely well-established through hundreds of studies. When used as directed, creatine is considered safe for healthy individuals, including military personnel.

Common Side Effects

• Water Retention: Initial increase in body weight (1-3 pounds) due to water retention in the muscles
• Digestive Discomfort: Some individuals experience stomach cramping during the loading phase

Unfounded Concerns

Several myths about creatine persist despite scientific evidence to the contrary:

• Kidney Damage: Multiple studies in healthy individuals show no adverse effects on kidney function
• Dehydration Risk: Research indicates creatine may actually have protective effects against dehydration
• Hair Loss: No scientific evidence supports this claim

Common Questions

Will creatine make me fail the 2-mile run?

No, research does not support the notion that creatine supplementation impairs endurance performance. The initial water weight gain is typically outweighed by the training benefits creatine provides.

Do I need to cycle off creatine before my AFT?

No, cycling off creatine before your AFT would actually be counterproductive. Maintain your regular creatine protocol right through test day.

Is creatine allowed in the military?

Yes, creatine is not a prohibited substance in the military. It's classified as a dietary supplement and is widely used among service members.

Conclusion

Based on extensive scientific evidence, creatine supplementation offers significant potential benefits for service members preparing for the Army Fitness Test. Its strongest effects align well with the demands of the MDL, HRP, and SDC events, with potential secondary benefits for overall training capacity and recovery.

For most healthy service members, creatine monohydrate represents a safe, effective, and evidence-based addition to a comprehensive AFT preparation strategy.