Proven on the pitch: How FC Barcelona uses 100% Creatine Monohydrate to maximize performance 

Objective of the Case Study 

In the world of football – even at the elite level – numerous misconceptions persist regarding player preparation, recovery, and the role of dietary supplements, including creatine. Simplified or outright incorrect beliefs often dominate public perception, while modern sports science has long since reached different conclusions. 

For BioTechUSA and FC Barcelona, it is of utmost importance to provide athletes, coaches, and fans with accurate, science-based information. Their shared objective goes beyond boosting team performance; it is equally about education: dismantling myths, showcasing evidence-based practices, and demonstrating how modern nutrition and supplementation support the everyday lives of professional football players. 

This case study is part of that mission. It explores in detail how the club and nutritional science collaborate, and highlights the role of creatine monohydrate in enhancing performance, recovery, and mental sharpness. Importantly, this is not a theoretical exercise but is illustrated through real-world practices applied at one of the most successful football clubs in history. 

1. Introduction 

One of the cornerstones of the long-term professional collaboration between BioTechUSA and FC Barcelona is sports science education. The partnership aims to ensure that the players of one of the world’s most successful clubs can maximize their potential not only on the pitch but also in recovery, mental freshness, and muscle preservation. 

In today’s sporting landscape, the importance of nutrition to success is considered common knowledge. However, at FC Barcelona’s level, this goes far beyond a balanced diet: it is about gaining the smallest margins – fractions of performance that can determine the outcome of matches and championships. 

Mireia Porta Oliva, Head of Nutrition at FC Barcelona, emphasizes: 

“Performance starts with health. Without health, there is no performance. Our task is to ensure that our players are in the best possible condition – physically, mentally, and emotionally.” 

The tested quality and wide range of BioTechUSA products allow the club to meet the unique needs of every athlete – whether it be an academy player, a women’s team member, or a global superstar from the men’s first team. 

Reflecting on the beginning of the collaboration, Mireia recalls: 

“When BioTechUSA’s sponsorship proposal arrived, I brought out my ‘Sherlock Holmes’ side. I examined the entire product portfolio, the formulations, the quality assurance system, and I met with their professional team. What convinced me was their complete transparency and the opportunity to work together in a customized way for the benefit of our athletes.” 

This project is not only about product usage but also about the meeting of two professional worlds – sports science and supplementation – advancing hand in hand. 

2. The Role of Creatine Monohydrate in Sports Performance 

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the human body and is essential for the regeneration of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) – the body’s primary energy currency for both muscles and the brain. During high-intensity, short-duration efforts (such as sprints, rapid changes of direction, or explosive jumps), ATP stores are quickly depleted. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate helps replenish these stores faster, allowing athletes to be ready for the next explosive movement more quickly. 

Creatine Monohydrate (at a daily intake of 5g in conjunction with physical activity): 

• Enhances muscular performance during short bursts of high-intensity effort 
• Supports muscle mass maintenance during inactivity, e.g., injury periods 
• Positively impacts brain function, as it plays a role in energy supply to the brain 

According to Mireia, the benefits of creatine are often misunderstood: 

“Many still believe creatine is only for bodybuilders. That’s a misconception. It is one of the most important supplements in team sports too, because it supports fast recovery, improves explosiveness, and has positive effects on mental health” 

For Barcelona players, creatine is not just about strength and speed but also about mental alertness.

3. FC Barcelona’s Sports Science Approach 

The nutrition program at FC Barcelona is rigorously personalized. Every athlete undergoes regular biomarker assessments to tailor diet and supplementation to current needs. These assessments go beyond measuring macro- and micronutrient levels, also tracking muscle recovery, inflammation, and hormonal balance. This enables the staff to precisely determine what type and amount of supplementation is required and when. 

Protocols based on lab results develops protocols based on lab results, training load, and personal preferences. The nutritional and supplement recommendations are different depending on the playing position. This means no two players’ diets are exactly alike, even if they play in the same position, since workload capacity, injury history, and metabolic profiles vary.

Creatine integration follows a fairly consistent approach throughout the season, being used on both training and match days. 

• Preseason: Focus on adaptation and establishing routines rather than heavy supplementation. 
• In-season: Continuous moderate dosing (around 3–5 g/day), typically after training or matches. 
• Season climax: Usage remains steady to support recovery during congested schedules. 
• Injury or concussion periods: Doses can be increased under medical supervision to help limit muscle loss and support recovery. 

Creatine timing is flexible: while it is commonly taken after training together with recovery nutrition, its effectiveness is not dependent on a strict schedule. What matters most is consistent daily intake, regardless of whether it coincides with training, matches, or travel. 

For women’s players, special attention is given to the luteal phase of their cycle, when hormonal changes can make recovery more difficult. However, creatine supplementation is maintained throughout the entire cycle because of its multiple benefits, with the luteal phase being a moment when its supportive role is especially valuable. 

The same applies to vegan and vegetarian players, who naturally have lower creatine levels due to the lack of animal-based dietary sources. For them, supplementation is practically essential. 

4. Practical Application 

At FC Barcelona, creatine supplementation is always individualized, taking into account match schedules, training loads, and each player’s physical condition. What matters most is consistency: creatine is taken on both training and match days, and can also be used during rest days to keep muscle stores saturated. While the most common timing is after training together with recovery nutrition, its flexibility allows players to adapt intake to different situations without losing effectiveness. 

This flexibility is invaluable for professional footballers, whose schedules are often packed and unpredictable due to matches, training, travel, and media obligations. The easily dissolvable, neutral-tasting creatine monohydrate powder can be consumed anywhere and anytime, ensuring supplementation requires no extra effort. This makes it sustainable in the long run, continuously supporting performance, recovery, and muscle maintenance. 

Creatine monohydrate is not applied sporadically but continuously throughout the year. Even during the most demanding stretches of the season – for instance, in the Champions League knockout stages, when weekly workloads can reach three matches – supplementation remains consistent. Long-distance travels, whether to South America or Asia, also do not disrupt routines, as players receive pre-portioned, individualized sachets for easy use anywhere, from airplanes to training camps.

BioTechUSA products are guaranteed doping-free, laboratory-tested, compliant with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) standards, and highly soluble, making them easy to integrate into drinks or shakes. 

For professional players, creatine is not an extra – it is a foundation. Just like proper sleep or hydration, it is considered essential. Just as no athlete would step onto the pitch without adequate rest, creatine supplementation has become equally indispensable. In modern professional sport, it is no longer viewed as a supplement, but as a cornerstone of performance and recovery. 

5. BioTechUSA Quality and Science 

Every BioTechUSA creatine monohydrate product undergoes multi-step, rigorous quality control in the company’s laboratories. The professional team inspects purity and composition at every stage of production, ensuring that only creatine powders that fully meet international anti-doping standards and the highest industry expectations reach the athletes. 

Beyond in-house testing – where more than 200,000 analyses are performed annually – the 100% Creatine Monohydrate product is also examined in accredited external laboratories. These independent certifications verify purity, accuracy of active ingredient levels, and compliance with global anti-doping standards. This is particularly critical for creatine, one of the most in-demand supplements among athletes. Certification ensures the product is safe for use by professional players worldwide. 

This level of control is vital in elite sport, where even a single faulty ingredient could have severe consequences. 

The BioTechUSA product portfolio – ranging from omega-3 supplements to proteins, vitamins, and creatine – is designed to cover the full spectrum of an athlete’s needs: recovery, immune support, and performance enhancement. 

As Mireia explains, variety is not only about active ingredients: 

“Since it’s flavor-neutral, it can be combined with anything – shakes, smoothies, water, or even juice. It fits seamlessly with other BioTechUSA products, so our athletes can integrate it into their daily routines without compromise.” 

6. Key Learnings and Conclusion 

The collaboration between FC Barcelona and BioTechUSA serves as a benchmark for how sports science, nutritional planning, and premium supplementation can be fully integrated into everyday training. This is not just about providing athletes with the right supplements – it also involves continuous measurement, analysis, and fine-tuning. The partnership is a living, evolving project that adapts to each phase of the season and its unique challenges. 

Creatine monohydrate is a cornerstone of this system: it helps sustain physical and mental performance, accelerates recovery, supports muscle preservation, and aids in the replenishment of muscle glycogen. These benefits are most evident during the busiest stretches of the season, when players must deliver peak performance almost daily. The staff has observed that regular creatine use contributes to reduced post-match muscle fatigue, extended mental freshness, lower injury risks, and improved readiness for subsequent training sessions or matches. 

The message of this story is clear: success is never accidental. Carefully designed, science-driven strategies – and, of course, reliable partners – can secure even the smallest advantages. While these margins may be invisible to the outside world, they often determine outcomes: a key player arriving fresh for a decisive match at the end of the season, or a sprint in the 93rd minute being just as explosive as in the 3rd. 

At the elite level, such small advantages can translate into championship titles. Over multiple seasons, they have been a major factor behind FC Barcelona’s consistently high performance, both on and off the pitch, setting an example for the entire professional sports world.