I decided to talk about Creatine because it’s a supplement that always causes controversy for many people who want to use it, and everywhere I go I hear people discussing it, despite it being the most researched food supplement in the world, and proven to be safe and effective time and time again. What exactly is creatine?
Creatine is formed in the human body from the amino acids methionine, glycine and arginine, and is directly related to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is the basic molecule of energy used by every cell in our body. Creatine works to help generate energy. When ATP loses a phosphate molecule during muscle contraction and becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP), it must be converted back to ATP to produce energy. Creatine is stored in the human body as creatine phosphate (CP) also called phosphocreatine.
When ATP is depleted, it can be recharged by CP. That is, CP donates a phosphate molecule to the ADP, making it ATP again. Creatine has been used so successfully by athletes because, for short-duration “explosive” sports, such as sprinting, weight lifting and other anaerobic sports, ATP-PC is the predominant energy system used. So, if you are marathoner, don’t even bother spending some euros with creatine 🙂 Creatine is proven to:
- improve sarcopenia (a loss of muscle mass due to aging)
- improve brain function of healthy and damaged brains
- modulate inflammation
- treat diseases affecting the neuromuscular system, such as muscular dystrophy
- mitigate wasting syndromes/muscle atrophy
- reduce fatigue
- treat gyrate atrophy
- improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
- improve Huntington’s disease and other mitochondrial cytopathies
- increase growth hormone (GH) levels
- reduce homocysteine levels
- possibly improve the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- improve cardiac function in those with congestive heart failure
It is also believed to increase protein synthesis through cell hydration. The best form of it is the Monohydrate Creatine, being 90% absorbable. And it’s not necessary to do the loading phase (20g per day/6 or 7 days), unless you’re an athlete who will have a competition soon. In all the other cases, 5g per day will do the job, because the body will accumulate it naturally to make a greater pool of CP in a few weeks. One really good strategy of use, is to intake some dextrose 10-15 minutes before the creatine (or together with any form of carbohydrate), provoking an insulin peak and consequently, the body will have a better absorption of the nutrients (creatine, in this situation), although the difference in terms of absorption will be very small in the end of the day. Creatine is safe, for all ages, except in a few specific situations. I would like to remember that this is a really brief comment about creatine. The main intention with this article is to provoke curiosity in you, so you will search for more info about this supplement. Make sure you will search for the opinion of a qualified professional before starting the use of any food supplement.
PS: the best and cheapest form of creatine is creatine monohydrate, the only one PROVEN to work. The rest of them are a waste of money, regardless of what your supplement shop seller or your favourite gym bro tells you. Science does not support the use of any other form of creatine powder. The best products available in the market come with a *Creapure stamp on their labels.