Many people take creatine to push their muscles to pump up, or "get in that last rep" at the gym or during other resistance training. A chemical made in the human body and also sold as a supplement at many retailers, creatine plays a key role in of muscle recovery and energy replenishment. Understanding exactly how creatine works in relation to muscle recovery is vital before you decide to start taking any creatine-containing supplement.
Physiology
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid within the body, which plays a vital role in allowing muscles to regenerate energy. During short-burst, intense muscle exertion -- such as a heavy bench press at the gym -- your muscles use a chemical called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, to produce energy. Creatine converts in the body to phosphocreatine, which stores energy within muscles. Released upon heavy muscle exertion, phosphocreatine plays a crucial role in muscle recovery by replenishing ATP.
Immediate Recovery
In relation to muscles, the term "immediate recovery" refers to the recovery of muscles while performing an exercise such as a bench press or dumbbell curl, according to the University of New Mexico. As opposed to training recovery -- or muscle recovery that occurs after a workout is finished -- immediate muscle recovery works quickly to establish blood flow through muscles. It also replenishes stores of phosphocreatine within muscles.
Creatine Supplements
Many athletes and bodybuilders use creatine supplements to enhance immediate muscle recovery. These supplements generally come in powdered form, although they are sometimes marketed as pills. According to the University of Maryland, studies have shown that creatine supplements improve both strength and lean muscle mass during short, high-intensity exercises such as weightlifting or sprinting. By taking a creatine supplement, you make more creatine available for your muscles to use to regenerate ATP muscle energy and speed up immediate recovery time.
Limitations
Although creatine can be effective in activities such as strength training, it has its limitations in regard to promoting muscle recovery. According to the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus website, creatine is not effective for muscle recovery during endurance exercises such as distance running or in exercise where there is no repetition. Also, taking large doses of creatine will not expand the maximum amount of phosphocreatine your muscles can store at once -- there is a limit, or "saturation point" beyond which excess creatine is not used by the body and eventually is excreted through urine.
Considerations
Creatine works differently for everyone, depending on their personal physiological make-up. For instance, if your body already produces an abundance of the amino acid and converts it to phosphocreatine for storage in your muscles, it is likely that supplementing with creatine will not make a noticeable difference in even short-burst, high-intensity workouts. If you plan on using creatine to enhance muscle recovery, it is essential that you drink plenty of water, since creatine causes muscles to draw in water from other areas of the body. Talk to your doctor before using creatine if you have diabetes or kidney disease.
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