A few of you have asked about creatine for on-court performance. Here's where the evidence sits in 2026: 🧠 Cognitive performance: new RCT found a single dose improved reaction time by ~12% under sleep deprivation conditions. Relevant for late-night matches or back-to-back tournaments (higher doses, ~10g/day). 💪 Muscle/recovery: well-established at 3–5g/day monohydrate. Best results alongside resistance training. 🦴 For women over 40: specifically studied now — CONCRET-MENOPA trial 2026 shows strong results for muscle and function. Any of you currently using it? What's your experience been? And if you have questions, drop them below.

Quick question: how many of you are consistently getting 7–8 hours of sleep before training or match days? Here's why I ask. A 2025 study measured what happens to muscle protein synthesis — your body's ability to repair and build muscle after training — when you're sleep deprived. The result: −18% drop in muscle protein synthesis. That means the same training session, the same post-match meal, the same protein intake — but your body rebuilds 18% less effectively when you're under-slept. For a sport that demands explosive recovery between points, that's not a small number. Beyond muscle repair: - Reaction time slows measurably on under-7-hours sleep - Ghrelin (hunger) rises → harder to eat well pre-match - Decision-making under fatigue degrades faster Sleep isn't passive recovery. It's where the adaptation from your training actually happens. How are you managing sleep around your training and match schedule? What's the biggest barrier — late matches, travel, stress? Let's talk about it.

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