What is the primary physiological role of creatine supplementation relevant to short maximal efforts?

• A. Act as a long-term aerobic substrate enabling sustained energy production for prolonged endurance events
• B. Stimulate cortisol release which mobilizes fat for immediate use during maximal sprints
• C. Increase intramuscular phosphocreatine stores to facilitate rapid ATP resynthesis during short, high-intensity efforts
• D. Directly replace ATP in muscle fibers so that cells no longer need to synthesize ATP during contractions

Answer: (C)