Your body produces creatine as creatine phosphate, which is stored in the muscle tissue. Creatine phosphate is a source of stored energy used during short bouts of high-intensity exercise, such as lifting weights, sprinting or swinging a golf club. Creatine supplements help increase the amount of creatine phosphate stored in your muscle tissue. However, the storage capacity is limited, which is why consuming excess amounts of creatine doesn’t provide any additional benefit. Consult your doctor before trying creatine supplements.
Function
The creatine phosphate stored in your muscle tissue assists your body’s main energy source used during the first few seconds of performing any type of exercise, called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. According to Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Phil Davies, your body uses ATP for energy during the first five seconds of any exercise, such as lifting a weight, and stored creatine phosphate is then oxidized to produce an additional five to eight seconds of energy. This entire process lasts for about 15 seconds, which is why, for example, you begin to feel fatigued around this time when lifting a heavy weight.
Metabolism
Many metabolic processes occur inside the human body. The most desired metabolic process in terms of losing weight involves the process of metabolizing fat. Creatine isn’t directly involved in increasing the rate your body metabolizes fat for use as energy. However, a major study conducted in 1996 and published in “The American Journal of Physiology” found that creatine supplements can increase muscle metabolism. This study showed that creatine does play a role in increasing the amount of energy available to your muscles during high-intensity exercise.
Who It’s For
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that creatine supplements may benefit strength-training athletes; however, the same can’t be said for aerobically trained athletes. Endurance athletes primarily utilize an energy system referred to as the oxidative system, which does not utilize creatine phosphate or ATP as its main source of energy. Creatine supplements can help you build new muscle tissue, which in turn helps boost your metabolism. This process is how creatine indirectly increases your metabolism over time.
Safety and Risks
Due to lack of age-specific research, creatine supplements shouldn’t be used by anyone under the age of 19, according to the UMMC. Creatine may negatively interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs -- or NSAIDs -- caffeine, gout medicines, cimetidine and water pills. Taking more than the recommended dose of creatine -- up to 25 grams per day in 5-gram increments for five consecutive days -- does not lead to greater increases in muscle metabolism. Talk to your doctor about the dosage that’s right for you.
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