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2000
Volume 21, Issue 10
  • ISSN: 1573-4013
  • E-ISSN: 2212-3881

Abstract

Background

The primary objective of this open-label quasi-experimental pilot study was to investigate the effects of co-administered creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on esports performance, neuropsychological outcomes, and creatine status in young male esports athletes.

Methods

We explored the impact of a 4-week supplementation with a creatine and GAA mixture on esports performance in Dota 2™ game and post-game neuropsychological outcomes among young experienced male esports athletes ( = 10).

Results

The intervention led to significant improvements, including a notable 30.1% increase in total scores for the final Dota 2™ game ( = 0.05), along with a 19.2% reduction in mean reaction time ( = 0.02), a 4.4% increase in accuracy ( = 0.05), and a 16.2% enhancement in executive control ( = 0.01).

Discussion

The effectiveness of lower doses of creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) observed in our study may be attributed to the enhanced capacity of GAA to cross the blood–brain barrier, thereby facilitating sustained cerebral creatine synthesis and supporting the elevated energy demands associated with esports performance.

Conclusion

These preliminary findings indicate that the blend may be an effective performance-enhancing intervention in esports. However, the lack of a control group, the small sample size, and the short study duration limit the generalizability and robustness of the results.

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2025-05-15
2026-02-25
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  • Article Type:
    Research Article
Keyword(s): accuracy; creatinine; executive control; guanidinoacetic acid; Performance; reaction time
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