Creatine, what is it?

You hear from people that they supplement with creatine. However, do you know what it is? Actually the real question is, do THEY really know what creatine is and what it does for our body. Creatine is a popular supplement in todays market. It used by a lot of people across the country and world. The bad thing is, half those people take it and have no clue why.

Creatine is naturally stored in our bodies. It mostly found in our skeletal muscle(95%), some is scattered throughout our body. We get it in our diet with meat and fishes but it is usually destroyed by heat.

So why is creatine so popular? When we workout we require ATP. ATP is our first energy source. However, we only have enough ATP in our body for 1-3 seconds of intense exercise. So, what happens after 3 seconds? That is where creatine comes into play. After those 3 seconds are body is looking to replenish our source of ATP. In order to do that creatine phosphate must be present. So, the idea of creatine supplementation is that the more creatine you have in your body the quicker you will be able to replenish your ATP source. This ATP creatine phosphate system only applies for 8-12 seconds of high intensity exercising. If you continue on for more then 12 seconds you are know using glucose as your primary energy source. I want to focus on those first 8-12 seconds.

So, it is proven that the supplementation of creatine aides in the replenishment of ATP. So, how is this beneficial? Well for athletes who are anaerobic, such as weightlifters, sprinters, and football players, creatine is a great supplement. With the supplementation of creatine, these athletes may be slightly quicker off the line or push out 1 or 2 more reps compared to if they were not on creatine. Those extra reps add up and at the end of the week resulting in strength and muscle gains.

Like I mentioned creatine is at its prime only for those high intensity activities lasting 8-12 seconds. So athletes like endurance runners and swimmers would not benefit from the use of creatine. Creatine is meant for anaerobic activities.

Creatine has only been around since 1993 as a supplement so there is not much research on long term side effects. The big side effect is water retention. Water is needed for creatine to enter the muscle cells, so when you are on creatine, it is not rare for you to gain 8-12 pounds of water weight. This will all be lost when you stop taking creatine.Other small side effects are the usual nausea, diarrhea, and muscle cramps.

So, you think creatine is right for you? As a recommendation, creatine should be taken at a dose of 3-5 grams a day. More is not better in the case of creatine. Your body can only hold 0.3gm per pound of body weight in kilograms, so any more then that will simply be excreted out. Creatine is best taken post workout with carbohydrates for the best absorption rate.

Creatine is not for everyone. However, is is proven to be one of safest and most effective supplements on the market today if used correctly. If you are interested in more information or recommendations about creatine, shoot me an e-mail.

If you ever have any topic suggestions or questions on fitness or nutrition please don't hesitate to ask me.

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu