Final answer:
False The rapid increase in body mass following creatine monohydrate supplementation is largely due to cell volumization, which entails drawing water into the muscle cells, and not an increase in contractile protein, making the statement false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the rapid increase in body mass following creatine monohydrate supplementation is due to increased contractile protein is considered false. Scientific evidence suggests that creatine increases muscle cell volume by drawing water into the muscle cells, a process known as cell volumization.
This increased water content within the muscle cells, rather than an increase in contractile proteins, primarily accounts for the rapid increase in body mass initially observed following creatine supplementation.
Moreover, creatine serves as an energy reserve in the form of creatine phosphate, which supports the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during the initial phases of muscle contraction, and thus may contribute to increased power output rather than muscle mass.
It is important to distinguish between intracellular water retention due to cell volumization and the common myth that creatine supplementation causes bloating or intercellular water retention.
Additionally, cellular changes such as the development of connective tissue and increase in the number of sarcomeres and myofibrils follow resistance training but are not usually observed with endurance training, highlighting the different effects of various types of exercise regimes on muscle growth and mass increases.