Creatine

Creatine facts, myths, and recommendations

What creatine is. Creatine is an amino acid, like the building blocks that make up proteins. It’s present in many of the foods we eat, and is a naturally-occurring substance. It is not a drug, nor is it the dangerous substance the uninformed (e.g., many doctors) claim it is. In fact, there is not one peer-reviewed study or laboratory test showing creatine is dangerous (unless you don’t take enough water with it—then it will crystallize, but so will vitamin C under the same conditions).

What creatine does. Creatine in the form of phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate) is an important store of energy in muscle cells. During intense exercise lasting around half a minute, phosphocreatine breaks down to creatine and phosphate, providing you with the primary source of energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Output power drops as your cells deplete phosphocreatine, because the body cannot regenerate ATP fast enough to meet the demands of the exercise.

Hmm, you say. A bigger store of phosphocreatine in muscle should reduce the depletion. That’s right! Extra creatine in the muscle may also increase the rate of regeneration of phosphocreatine following repeated bursts of activity in training or in many sport competitions.

Creatine has another effect that is important to bodybuilders. Creatine pulls water into your muscles, adding volume to them. When the muscles are more full, they can contract harder--this means you have more strength for your workouts. Hefting more weight (safely) improves the rate of muscle gain and fat loss. Additionally, the extra water helps the cells rid themselves of waste (such as lactic acid), thus speeding up recovery.

Usage. As a dietary supplement, take 1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams), mixed into juice or water, 4 times daily for 5 days (loading phase). Thereafter, take 1-1/2 teaspoons 1 to 2 times daily (maintenance dose). For individuals with bodyweights greater than 225 lbs., take 1-1/2 teaspoons 5 to 6 times daily for the loading dose and 2 times daily for the maintenance dose.

Caution. Water consumption is critical, so drink plenty when using creatine. Athletes who engage in intense, regular exercise should consume at least 120 oz of water per day. Drink an additional 16 oz of water for every pound lost during exercise.

Value vs. cost. Creatine ranks near the top of all supplements for benefit. It’s cheaper than the sugar-laden “sports drinks” that do nothing for you. If you want to improve performance, take creatine. Combining it with HMB is a strategy many people are finding works well for them.

What you really should do is compile a complete list of your supplements and medications, along with a food diary, and ask a pharmacologist to review this for drug interactions and/or supplement interactions. Some supplements don't work together, either--feel free to contact Mark at sales @ mindconnection.com about supplement interactions.