Creatine

What is creatine?

Creatine is a compound which is part of the skeletal muscle. It is found naturally in the body and is also used as a supplement by body builders and athletes.  In the body it is made by the liver from a combination of amino acids methionine, lycine and arginine which are available in various foods. The kidney and pancreas also synthesize some creatine when require. A healthy person usually gets sufficient amounts of creatine from the diet.

Creatine is needed to maintain muscle activity. It is converted into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and stored in the muscles. The actual energy used the muscles comes in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which, in turn, comes from creatine.

Available as a dietary supplement which is used in sports medicine, the most popular form of it is a powder, creatine monohydrate. However, the supplement is also available as capsules, pills, chews and added to other products. It is also available in different kinds of creatine.

Why would you take creatine?

If you are athlete or a body builder, or you are working out regularly, then you can do with extra creatine. This supplement helps in improving and enhancing the performance of muscles and also aids in recovery times after intense exercise. Creatine also reduces muscle fatigue, thus enabling endurance athletes to last longer. It also works by increasing muscle mass and development of muscles, so if you are into body building, you can use creatine to help sculpt your body.

Creatine supplementation increases phosphocreatine levels in the muscles by as much as 15-40 percent, thus increasing ‘staying power’ and the ability to gain muscle faster.

A normal, healthy person who does not want to build muscle does not need extra creatine, especially if the diet is balanced and rich in fish and red meat. But when you want to push your body to the limit and not feel tired or fatigued or suffer from muscle weakness, creatine can be provide a healthy boost. As it a more natural substance, it is much better than taking steroids which are often used for body building.

Creatine side effects

If you are taking creatine under the advice of a personal trainer or coach then your side effects should be monitored and the dose should be balanced with your activity levels. However, some people take dietary and nutritional supplements on their own. They should be wary of side effects like

• Muscle cramps
• Weight gain
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Asthma
• Digestive disorders
• Water retention or dehydration
• Loss of appetite
• Kidney problems (including kidney stones)
• Liver ailments
• Allergic reaction
• Swelling in face and hands
• Tightness in the chest

If you experience any of the side effects, even if they are minor, you should stop taking creatine supplements and consult your doctor.

Positive effects of creatine

While creatine has some negative side effects, it also has some positive effects apart from building muscle mass. People with heart disease or suffering from congestive heart failure may find that lower doses of creatine increases their muscle strength and body weight. It may help in lower triglyceride levels which are implicated in coronary artery disease.

Studies have shown that creatine helps lower levels of homocysteine, which is implicated in heart disease. Patients of COPD showed improved health after taking creatine supplements. Creatine may also help people with Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy. Again, patients who have any serious or chronic ailments need to consult with the doctor before starting creatine supplements. Additionally it may well have positive effects on the brain, though research on this ongoing.

Taking creatine

There are two ways to take creatine supplements. One is to start taking it gradually, starting with just 5 grams a day then working it up to 15-25 grams in four divided doses, depending on your body weight. The other ways is creatine loading. Loading gives faster results. You start by taking 15-25 grams of creatine powder a day for a week. You should take 0.2 grams of creatine per kilo of body weight. You can find online calculators on the net in case you are confused as to how much creatine you should take. This amount of creatine saturates your muscles.

Then you go on a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams a day. The maintenance phase can go on for 4-5 weeks or even up to three months. Then you need to cycle off the creatine to enable the body to recover. However, as creatine is supposed to be reasonably safe, some people say there is no need to cycle off, and you can just be on a maintenance dose. If you do cycle off creatine, you should be off it for a month before you start again.

You can take creatine gradually or load – it really does not matter, because the body stores creatine effectively. There is also no ideal time to take creatine. You can take it in equally spaced doses or take at least one dose before or after a work out. Again that is because creatine stays in the body and works for a long time, even if you have stopped taking it.

Best Creatine

It is often asked what is the best creatine? There are several different brands and types of creatine available. Every brand is different, every type is different, every person is different. Some will create better to others, and some may so no results from others. It is best to read all the reviews, and find the best creatine for you. We’ll be reviewing different brands of creatine in the near future.

How should you take creatine?

Creatine is best taken with carbohydrates for greater efficacy. It can be mixed with grape juice (or any non acidic juice), whey protein, a carbohydrate-protein shake or dextrose. When you add simple sugars to the creatine, it spikes insulin levels and increases ATP, which is what is actually used by the muscles.

It is also important to drink a lot of water when taking creatine. That is because the muscles fill up with water when you take this supplement and if you don’t drink enough water you can get dehydrated. You should avoid caffeine for the same reason.

You should also not mix creatine supplements with NSAIDs, diuretics, anti-acid medicines like Tagamet, Probenicid (to treat gout). If you are taking any of these medicines, check with your health practitioner before taking creatine.

Research References:

1. Beck TW, Housh TJ, Johnson GO, Coburn JW, Malek MH, Cramer JT. Effects of a drink containing creatine, amino acids, and protein combined with ten weeks of resistance training on body composition, strength, and anaerobic performance.J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(1):100-4.
2. Benzi G. Is there a rationale for the use of creatine either as nutritional supplementation or drug administration in humans participating in a sport? Pharmacol Res. 2000;41(3):255-264.
3. Cancela P, Ohanian C, Cuitiño E, Hackney AC. Creatine supplementation does not affect clinical health markers in football players. Br J Sports Med. 2008 Sep;42(9):731-5.
4.Cornish SM, Candow DG, Jantz NT, Chilibeck PD, Little JP, Forbes S, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid combined with creatine monohydrate and whey protein supplementation during strength training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2009 Feb;19(1):79-96.
5. Deldicque L, Francaux M. Functional food for exercise performance: fact or foe? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Nov;11(6):774-81. Review.
6. Eckerson JM, Stout JR, Moore GA, Stone NJ, Iwan KA, Gebauer AN, Ginsberg R. Effect of creatine phosphate supplementation on anaerobic working capacity and body weight after two and six days of loading in men and women. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(4):756-63.
7. Hass CJ, Collins MA, Juncos JL. Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trial. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2007;21(2):107-15.