Creatine is one of the only dietary supplements that definitively improves athletic performance, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. It can be obtained through consuming meats, though ingesting enough creatine to improve performance is difficult without a supplement. Creatine is not appropriate for everyone and will not improve performance of all athletes. Consult your doctor before starting any supplement regimen.
Mechanism
Energy is made by your body in different ways, depending on the intensity and duration of the physical activity. Your muscles store a certain amount of energy that can be used immediately. This energy must be replenished as it is used. Creatine is also stored in your muscles and plays a major role in a chemical reaction that replenishes muscle energy stores. Creatine supplementation helps to sustain this energy-producing reaction, which translates to better athletic performance for high-intensity athletes.
Supplementation
Oral supplementation increases the amount of creatine stored in your muscles, but doesn't work for everyone. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, some people don't exhibit significant muscular creatine accumulation when taking a creatine supplement and shouldn't expect to see benefits. Carbohydrate consumption paired with creatine supplementation may improve muscle uptake of creatine by more than 50 percent.
Dosage
According to a study published in the "European Journal of Applied Physiology" in 1994, ingesting 20 g of creatine a day increased muscle creatine stores by 20 percent. Several days of this dosage elevated intramuscular creatine for weeks. You would have to eat 10 lbs. of uncooked steak to ingest 20 g of creatine from whole food, so consuming a supplement is necessary if you want to increase your intramuscular creatine stores. Consult a physician about appropriate dosages.
Training
The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that creatine supplementation may help athletes train longer and harder, enhancing performance gains and giving them a competitive edge. More intense training might also contribute to creatine induced weight gain. Weight is gained within the first few days of supplementation, however, so water retention is a more likely cause.
Performance
Several studies have shown improved physical performance after creatine supplementation. For example, a study published in the journal "Acta Physiologica Scandinavia" showed that creatine supplementation improved power output during an all out 30-second bicycle test and improved total volume during a bench press test. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, performance enhancement has been best demonstrated for high intensity athletes like sprinters, rowers, power lifters, throwers and jumpers.
References
- "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning"; The National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2000
- "The European Journal of Applied Physiology"; R. Birch, et al.; The Influence of Dietary Creatine Supplementation on Performance During Repeated Bouts of Maximal Isokinetic Cycling in Man; 1994.
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore, et al.; 2004
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Muscle Creatine Loading in Man; E. Hultman, et al.; 1996
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; The Physiological and Health Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation; Ronald Terjung Ph.D, et al.; March 2000
- "Acta Physiologica Scandinavia"; The Effect of Creatine Monohydrate Ingestion on Anaerobic Power Indices, Muscular Strength and Body Composition; C. P. Earnest, et al.; February 1995
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