Creatine is an organic acid that supplies energy to the muscles. It is available in supplement form, which is often used by athletes to increase creatine levels in order to boost muscle mass. Like most supplements, creatine should be approached with knowledge and caution.
Features
Creatine is found in red muscle tissue. Creatine is ingested when a person eats high-protein foods like beef or takes creatine supplements. The body also manufactures its own creatine. Creatine is used to produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP, according to Stella Dotson, Vanderbilt University. ATP is used when the muscles contract. The more ATP that is readily available, the more energy the muscles have available for work.
Potential
According to the College of the Canyons, the range of creatine found in muscle is between 90 to 160mmol/kg with an average of 120 mmol/kg. Excess creatine will be excreted from the body in urine. Higher levels of creatine can allow muscles to work harder. As muscles work, they sustain micro-tears. As the body repairs these micro-tears, the muscles grow. A person who has maximum creative levels during weight training can improve the size and strength of his muscles more rapidly than with normal creatine levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, increased creatine levels may also benefit patients who have congestive heart failure.
Time Frame
People who take creatine supplements generally go through a process of "loading," wherein they take increased initial doses to build up a creatine reserve in the muscles. The usual loading dose is about 20g of creatine every day for five days and should begin about three to four weeks after the start of the competitive season. After the muscles are "loaded," the dose is lowered to a maintenance level of about 3g of creatine daily. At the end of the competitive season, athletes should discontinue creatine supplementation, allowing the substance to "wash out," or return to normal levels, which will take about four weeks. This process is called cycling. Athletes who regularly use creatine supplements without cycling can become immune to the effects of supplemental creatine, according to the University of Oregon. Athletes regularly debate whether or not loading provides benefits beyond a lower routine dose.
Effects
By increasing energy available for muscle use, increased creatine levels can delay the onset of fatigue. However, creatine is better for activities that require a burst of energy than activities that require endurance; creatine supplementation is popular among weight lifters and sprinters, for example. Increasing creatine levels is most effective when natural levels of creatine are low: taking supplements can increase natural creatine muscle stores 10 to 30 percent, but supplementation cannot take people beyond their personal creatine muscle maximum.
Warning
Supplemental creatine can cause digestive problems including diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, cramps, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. It should not be used by people who have kidney or liver disease, or by people who have diabetes or are taking anti-diabetic medications. People who experience pain in their lower legs while taking creatine should contact their physician immediately; they may have developed compartment syndrome, a potentially serious condition requiring emergency treatment. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use creatine.
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