Creatine is one of the most widely used dietary supplements in athletics and strength training. The naturally occurring amino acid is believed to help improve athletic performance, encourage muscle growth and develop strength. Creatine's impact on the cardiovascular system is often overshadowed by its potential to make you stronger and bigger. Some research suggests that creatine may help improve your aerobic performance and curb muscle breakdown due to too much cardiovascular exercise.
Creatine
Creatine is a non-essential amino acid stored in muscles for energy. Your body naturally produces this protein building block, which is what makes it non-essential. Fish and meat are a good source for creatine but many athletes and bodybuilders boost their creatine levels by taking it in supplement form. Traditionally, creatine is used to help build lean muscle mass and improve athletic abilities. Creatine seems to especially enhance physical activity that is high in intensity and short in duration, such as sprinting or lifting heavy weights. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, not all studies on creatine have conclusively shown it to improve athletic ability or build muscle.
Aerobic Capacity
Creatine may potentially reduce the amount of stress placed on your cardiovascular system during aerobic activity. In other words, creatine can improve your cardiovascular endurance by slowing the burning of oxygen in the muscles when active. Greater cardiovascular endurance can lead to burning more calories and, ultimately, a loss of body fat, if you were to increase the duration of your aerobic training sessions. Creatine is not a magic bullet for weight loss, however, and any attempt at increasing your cardiovascular activity should be done in reasonable increments.
Cardiovascular Catabolism
Engaging heavily in cardiovascular exercise burns a lot of calories. If your diet doesn't supply your body with enough calories to burn off when exercising, your cardiovascular system begins to attack your muscles and breaks down lean tissue. This is known as catabolism. A study presented at the 2004 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine concluded that creatine supplementation can curb the adverse effects of too much aerobic exercise. Study participants that took creatine supplements over the course of 12 days showed no loss in strength after being tested, compared to placebo group participants. Based on these study findings, creatine helps muscles maintain their energy, even after aerobic activity.
Cautions and Dosing
Creatine is generally safe to take but some potential side effects are possible. You should not take creatine if you are on prescription medications. The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that people with kidney disease, high blood pressure or liver disease should not take creatine. Taking creatine supplements could hinder your body from producing its own, but long-term effects are not yet known. Follow the dosing instructions on the label and don't take more than 20 g daily when using creatine for exercise performance.
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