You find creatine in meats, but it’s also formed in your
body from amino
acids. Creatine is used by muscles for energy during high-intensity,
short-duration exercises.
This supplement is well-researched and it is known to
enhance strength, performance and hypertrophy. It also seems to produce
positive effects on neurological function and favorable adaptations to aerobic
exercise.
Creatine is one of
the most used supplements for athletes and recreational weight lifters. Read
these 3 steps to learn if you need to start taking this supplement:
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Step 1: Determine your need and creatine’s safety
When you combine creatine supplements with resistance
training, your performance, strength, and muscle hypertrophy increase.
Moreover, it is accepted that endurance exercises should
combine high carbohydrate (CHO) diets with creatine supplements to achieve more
muscle glycogen
stores.
Most research supports creatine
supplements in younger adults (<60 years old). Younger athletes (<18
years old) should only consider this supplement in post-puberty, if they are
involved in serious competitive training, they’re eating well-balanced diets,
their parents approve it, and supplement protocols are supervised. Creatine is
allowed by the International Olympic
Committee, and the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). However, the NCAA no longer allows
universities to supply creatine to their students with school funds.
Creatine is likely safe for most people. People with kidney
or liver dysfunction/disease or taking medications that may alter those organs
functions should avoid the use of creatine.
Step 2: Which type should I buy?
Supplements are commonly sold as powders, although liquids,
tablets, capsules, energy bars, fruit-flavored chews, drink mixes, and other
preparations are also available.
The most widely used and researched form is creatine monohydrate (CM). But there
are several different available forms of creatine: creatine anhydrous, in salt forms
(including creatine pyruvate, or creatine malate), and in ester or effervescent
forms.
Step 3: What is the dosage?
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People who have lower total creatine levels who start taking
creatine supplements seem
to benefit more than people who start with a higher level of creatine. Skeletal
muscle will only hold a certain amount of creatine and its saturation point is
usually reached within the first few days of taking a loading dose.
A protocol where 20g of CM is taken in 1g doses (at 30-min intervals) for 5 days results in reduced urinary creatine and more weight gain. The loading phase must be followed by a maintenance period of 3-5g CM/d or 0.03g CM/kg/d. This could be a better approach to get a maximal saturation of the intramuscular creatine store than the typical creatine supplementation protocol. Creatine causes muscles to draw water, so be sure to drink plenty of water per day to make up for this. In addition, your body may absorb creatine better when you take it with CHO foods.
Cooper et al. Journal of the
International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012, 9:33
WebMD. Creatine.
Accessed November 25, 2013. http://bit.ly/1fDw46u
MayoClinic. Creatine.
Accessed November 25, 2013. http://mayocl.in/18jJ6Us
University of Maryland
Medical Center. Creatine. Accessed November 25, 2013.
Livia Ly
I'm a health enthusiast and a wellness activist. I'm a
dietitian trained in Brazil and also a nutrition grad student in Chicago. Ѽ
