Creatine is a substance that is naturally found in your muscles and it is important for athletic performance. You can take creatine supplements to try to boost strength and endurance, but creatine supplements may not be particularly effective for cardio or aerobic exercises. Talk to your doctor before you begin taking any supplements.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid, similar to the amino acids that are naturally used by the human body to make proteins. Protein is normally found in high levels in muscle tissue, especially skeletal muscle. However, creatine itself does not get used to make proteins. Creatine can be chemically modified inside of your cells to hold energy to be used as a short term source of fuel when your muscles become tired.
Cardio Exercise
There are many different kinds of exercise that you can do, but most kinds of exercise can be divided into cardiovascular and strength-training exercise. Cardiovascular exercise, also known as aerobic exercise, is usually lower in intensity but is designed to be continued for long periods. The idea behind cardiovascular exercise is that it increases your heart rate, burns calories and strengthens your heart. Examples of "cardio" include jogging, biking, jumping rope and swimming.
Creatine Benefits
Because creatine is an important part of short-term energy storage for your muscles, creatine supplements can be used to increase the amount of creatine in your muscles, improving their endurance. However, the energy from creatine is used very quickly during exercise. As a result, it is generally only beneficial for people looking to do high impact exercises, such as sprinting or lifting weights. It does not appear to be effective for cardiovascular exercise.
Side Effects
Creatine may have some benefits while exercising, but its effectiveness has not been well established. When you consume creatine, you may temporarily gain weight because the influx of creatine will cause your muscles to retain more water. High intake of creatine can also cause muscle pain and may also put strain on your kidneys. Talk to your doctor before taking creatine or any other sort of supplement.
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