Body builders and athletes are often looking for a competitive edge. Taking supplements is nothing new in the athletic world, and creatine is one of the major players. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body that aids in energy production. It is also present in the diet in meat and fish. The skeletal muscles use creatine to do work, or produce energy, when its original energy has run out. Even though creatine is a natural substance, do not start supplementing unless you talk to your doctor first. He should know what you plan to do to make sure it fits in with your medical history.
How Creatine Works
Creatine is naturally occurring in the human body, and it is present in the mitochondria, or energy centers, in the skeletal muscle cells. To understand how creatine is used by skeletal muscles, it is important to know how muscles use energy. Muscles convert adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, to adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, to extract energy from the chemical reaction. The only problem is that this gets used up quickly and no ATP is left. According to Vanderbilt University, creatine phosphate serves as another form of energy in this system. It is able to give its phosphate to ADP to create new ATP to be broken down again for more energy. The more creatine you have available, the more energy your body can potentially create.
How to Supplement
Many athletes take creatine as a supplement to help their performance. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, adults over 19 years of age can take a loading dose of 5 g of creatine monohydrate four times per day for one week. After that, take 2 to 5 g daily. If you take creatine to lower your cholesterol, take 20 to 25 g daily for five days, then 5 to 10 g daily. Take your supplement with high carbohydrate foods to help the absorption of the creatine.
Effectiveness
There have been many studies conducted on the effectiveness of creatine as an athletic supplement, and most of them have shown that it does help athletes perform better. According to Vanderbilt University, the evidence is "overwhelming" that taking supplements increases the amount of creatine in the muscle. There are studies that show that it helps increase muscle strength by testing weight lifters who use the supplement. However, creatine is not useful for long distance or endurance exercise. It has shown more effectiveness in strength and short-term athletic pursuits.
Side Effects
There have been no long-term studies on the use of high doses of creatine, so the side effects are either anecdotal or unknown. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, side effects can include gaining weight, muscle cramps, muscle strains, loose stools, liver damage and kidney damage. However, creatine manufacturers are quick to point out that it occurs naturally in the body and is harmless. It can also interact with some medications. It can increase the risk of harm from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Caffeine also negates the use of creatine. Taking a water pill, or diuretic, with creatine can lead to severe dehydration.
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