Creatine is something that your body naturally produces, but some people choose to obtain more of it through supplements. It is a substance formed by the amino acids methionine, glycine and arginine that works with adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is the "universal energy molecule" that every cell in your body uses for energy. Not only do healthy people take creatine supplements to enhance athletic performance, but creatine is also beneficial for people with problems such as neuromuscular disease and fibromyalgia.
Healthy Individuals
Creatine helps produce energy. Your body stores it as creatine phosphate. Creatine supplies a phostphate molecule to the chemical process that transforms adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, into ATP. This conversion creates energy. More creatine in the body therefore leads to more energy during exercise, specifically anaerobic exercise. In anaerobic exercise, such as weight training and sprinting, your body only performs actions in quick bursts. Healthy individuals may wish to take creatine for the increased energy production. Two to three grams of a creatine supplement per day is sufficient for most people, according to "Life Extension Magazine."
Dosages for People With Pathologies
Creatine may benefit people with pathologies linked to low levels of ATP, but the dosages of creatine may need to be higher. A 2000 study tested the effects of creatine on participants with three types of muscular dystrophy. Researchers gave participants creatine over the course of eight weeks. Participants saw improvements in strength and their ability to complete daily activities. A similar study in 1999 gave participants with neuromuscular disease five to 10 grams a day of creatine and got similar results. Participants were stronger and saw a reduction in symptoms. Both studies were published in "Neurology."
Five to 10 grams might be helpful for you if you have one of these conditions, or a similar condition. Get approval from your doctor before supplementing with creatine.
Creatine for Muscle Gains
Creatine causes an increase in muscle size by hydrating the muscle cells so they contain water. Thus bodybuilders use creatine to bulk up. Take 5 g four times a day for between one and five days, which is the loading phase designed to raise creatine levels. Five grams is approximately one heaping teaspoon. Then reduce your daily intake to 1 tsp. of creatine three times a day, which is the maintenance phase, recommends an article entitled "Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation."
Warnings
Dosage levels for creatine supplementation are not set because how much an individual can handle varies from person to person. Taking too much creatine can be dangerous. One athlete taking 10 grams of creatine daily for six weeks suffered acute kidney failure and breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. Do not take creatine if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or liver disease, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center. Take the smallest amount that you can to meet your goals.
References
- Bodybuildingforyou.com; Creatine: Not Just a Sports Nutrition Supplement; Will Brink
- "Life Extension Magazine;" Creatine: More Than a Sports Nutrition Supplement; March 2003
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- DrDebe.com; Creatine Monohydrate: The Ultimate "Anti-aging" Supplement; Dr. Joseph A. Debé
- Vanderbilt University; Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation; Estella Dotson
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