What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is found in the muscles and brain of humans and other vertebrates. It plays a key role in providing energy for muscle contraction during high-intensity activities like weight lifting or sprinting.
About 95% of the human body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle. The remaining 5% is stored in the brain, liver, kidney, and testes.
Creatine is synthesized in the body from amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. It can also be obtained from food sources like red meat and seafood. However, most people choose to take it as a dietary supplement to boost their performance in the gym.
How Does Creatine Work?
During high-intensity exercise that lasts from 10 seconds up to a few minutes, the body relies on a chemical called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for fuel. As ATP is used for energy, it breaks down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP).
Creatine binds with ADP to form a molecule called phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine then donates its phosphate group back to ADP to reform ATP and provide an ongoing energy supply. This reaction allows higher rates of ATP turnover and energy production.
In simple terms, supplementing with creatine provides muscles with a faster way to regenerate ATP. This can lead to improvements in strength, power, muscle mass, and exercise performance.
Types of Creatine Supplements
There are several forms of creatine available in supplements:
- Creatine monohydrate - The most common, effective, and affordable form
- Creatine ethyl ester - Esterified form that manufacturers claim has better absorption
- Buffered creatine - Combined with salts for enhanced solubility
- Liquid creatine - Dissolved creatine that does not require mixing powders
- Creatine hydrochloride - More water-soluble form
Of all these forms, creatine monohydrate is the most scientifically supported in terms of safety and efficacy for improving exercise performance and building muscle.
Benefits of Taking Creatine
Over 500 research studies have evaluated the effects of creatine supplements on exercise performance and athletic capacity. Some key benefits include:
Increases Strength and Power Output
Multiple meta-analyses combining data from dozens of studies confirm that creatine supplementation consistently increases strength and power output, particularly during short and high-intensity exercise.
In a 2003 meta-analysis, creatine increased bench press strength by up to 43% and weightlifting performance by up to 15%.
Boosts Muscle Mass and Size
Along with enhancing cellular energy production, creatine pulls more water into muscle cells. This leads to increases in muscle fiber size, known as cell volumization.
A 5-9% increase in lean body mass is typically seen after several weeks of creatine supplementation combined with strength training.
Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance
Creatine's direct effects on muscle energy systems lead to reduced fatigue and increased work capacity during any high-intensity activities lasting up to 5 minutes. This includes strength training as well as sports with sprinting or intervals like football, hockey, basketball, or soccer.
In some cases, athletes see performance gains of 10-15% on high intensity intermittent speed and power tests.
Enhances Cognitive Performance
The creatine/phosphocreatine system also plays a role in brain energy metabolism. Supplementing may improve aspects of cognitive function, including memory, intelligence/reasoning ability, and reaction time.
Vegetarians show the greatest improvements in brainpower since they tend to have lower muscle creatine levels to begin with.
Who Might Benefit from Supplementation?
Creatine has applications for just about anyone looking to enhance high-intensity exercise capacity or muscle strength and size. Those who tend to benefit the most include:
- Weightlifters - Improves strength and muscle building from resistance training
- Sprinters & Team Athletes - Provides added speed and power output
- Middle-Aged Adults - Counters age-related declines in muscle and strength
- Vegetarians - Vegetarian diets are low in optimal creatine sources
Younger athletes may not respond as robustly to creatine supplementation since their bodies already efficiently produce adequate muscle creatine stores.
On the other hand, creatine tends to have more noticeable effects in middle-aged adults. By the age of 60, muscle creatine levels can decline by up to 50% compared to younger adults.
Improving Cognitive Performance
Supplementing with small doses of creatine has also been trialled as a safe way to boost brain power and cognitive processing:
- Enhanced memory and recall ability
- Increased fluid intelligence and IQ test scores
- Faster processing speed and reaction time
People over 55 years old seem to experience the greatest improvements in markers of cognitive function.
Is Creatine Safe?
Thousands of studies lasting up to several years provide strong evidence that creatine is safe for long-term use. No serious side effects have been reported among healthy individuals at recommended dosages.
Minor Side Effects
When first starting out, some people notice minor effects like muscle cramping, upset stomach, diarrhea or nausea. These issues typically resolve within a week or two once the body adapts.
Weight gain from increased water stored in muscles is another common side effect. However, research shows creatine does not lead to fat gain or negative metabolic changes.
Safety Concerns
While minimal, there are a few safety considerations to be aware of when supplementing with creatine:
- Impaired kidney function - Those with existing kidney disease are advised to avoid creatine due to potential worsening of condition
- Dehydration risk - Increased fluid demands may exacerbate dehydration in athletes training extensively in hot climates
- Drug interactions - Potential interactions with diuretics, methotrexate, corticosteroids or other medications affecting kidney function
Always consult your doctor before taking creatine if you have any pre-existing health conditions or take prescription medications.
How to Supplement with Creatine
If you decide to give creatine a try, here are some tips on how to start supplementing:
Loading Phase
Take 20 grams per day, split into 4 equal 5 gram servings spaced throughout the day for 5-7 days. This quickly saturates your cells to maximize energy and performance gains.
Maintenance Phase
Take 3-5 grams per day (usually pre or post workout) to maintain elevated muscle creatine stores. Stick with this longer-term once finished loading.
Cycling On and Off
Most experts recommend taking creatine continuously rather than cycling on and off. But if cycling, take for 8-12 weeks followed by 4 weeks off.
Be aware that performance declines back to baseline within 4 weeks of stopping as muscle creatine stores decrease.
Bottom Line
Creatine is one of the most effective and well-researched supplements for improving high-intensity exercise capacity. If you participate in sports requiring explosive power or strength training, chances are that creatine supplementation can take your physical performance to the next level.
When taken as recommended by healthy individuals, it is perfectly safe for long-term use and provides key advantages for power output, muscle building, and cognitive function - especially for hard-training athletes and older adults.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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