Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid made in your body and synthesized in your liver, kidneys and pancreas. According to MayoClinic.com, 95 percent of your body's creatine content is found in skeletal muscle. Creatine supplementation is extremely popular among fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders and competitive athletes. There are benefits to taking creatine, however, more research is needed to determine who can benefit from creatine the most and at what dosage.
Athletic Performance
The most common reason to take creatine as a supplement is to improve athletic performance during exercise. During high-intensity, short-duration exercise, your body converts creatine into ATP, a major source of energy. Weightlifting and sprinting are examples of these types of exercises. MayoClinic.com states that muscle total creatine content may increase with oral creatine supplementation. The increase in creatine increases the body's total energy, thus possibly improving performance during exercise.
Diseases
Creatine supplementation may decrease the severity of the effects of certain diseases. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a study done on people with congestive heart failure stated that those who took creatine saw improvements in the amount of exercise they could do before they became fatigued. People suffering from muscular dystrophy have muscle weakness, which may be the result of lack of creatine in their muscle cells. Therefore creatine supplementation may improve muscle strength in these patients. Effects of Parkinson's disease are decreased muscle mass and strength, and increased fatigue. Taking creatine may improve their exercise ability and endurance.
Effectiveness
Certain factors influence the effectiveness of creatine. According to MedlinePlus, age, type of sport and dosage can effect how your body reacts to creatine. Young adults may benefit the most from the use of creatine. Creatine does not improve athletic performance during exercises that require endurance, such as running. MedlinePlus also states that you may benefit from creatine loading rather than continuous use. An example of creatine loading is using 20 g for five days.
Considerations
Creatine is considered safe when taken properly. When taken by mouth in high dosages, creatine can cause muscle cramping, stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. Creatine causes your muscles to pull water from the rest of your body. Be sure to drink a sufficient amount of water while supplementing with creatine to avoid dehydration.
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