Creatine is a fuel source for ATP, which is in turn used for short bursts of power.
It has since been shown that if used correctly, it is a safe supplement.
Creatine is naturally found in animal proteins and fish and increases the body's ability to produce energy. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.
Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and explosive activities. This includes weight training and sports that require short bursts of effort, such as sprinting, football, and baseball.
It is important to note that your diet is also important. If your diet is poor then you would be better off improving it to see results from increased carbohydrate and protein levels.
Weight Gain
If you take creatine, it's very likely you will end up gaining weight.
Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells and thus increases protein synthesis.
The initial gain is water (about 2 to 4 pounds in the first week of supplementation), with further gains being muscle due to the increase in the workload you can perform.
To make the most of the energy boost you need to take creatine with exercise (as opposed to on its own). Otherwise, the weight you gain will just be water weight.
Some benefits:
1. Enhanced Recovery
In 2004, Santos and colleagues studied the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle cell damage in experienced endurance athletes running a 30 km race.
Closely monitoring several markers of cell damage in their sample of 18 male athletes, the researchers found levels of these markers were reduced after the race, compared to 16 control subjects who took only the maltodextrine.
They concluded that creatine supplementation before running reduced muscle cell damage and inflammation following exhaustive exercise, thus enhancing recovery.
2. Enhanced Muscle Volumization
Creatine causes muscle cells to inflate and is a stimulus for protein synthesis.
Up to six pounds of added bodyweight in the first few weeks is commonly reported in those who begin creatine supplementation (a process primarily accounted for by water moving rapidly from the bloodstream to the muscle).
3. High Intensity Work
Creatine enhances the body's capacity to perform high intensity work (and assists greater muscle size and performance gains as a result).
Creatine (phosphate) is used to supply the type 1b muscle fibers (fast-twitch) with immediate energy, ensuring these muscles do not fatigue too early. It strengthens muscular contraction of these fibers, and helps to pump out more reps or sprint faster.
In fact, without creatine, energy production during high-intensity exercise would not be possible.
Thus supplementing with creatine allows the muscles to store more of this and allow greater gains in strength and muscle.
4. Improved Anaerobic Capacity
In an impressive study, Ziegenfuss and fellow researchers demonstrated that creatine loading over just three days significantly improved muscle volume and cycle sprint performance in elite power athletes.
It was found that over a three-day period, creatine subjects experienced increased total body mass of, on average, 0.9 kilograms, a 6.6% increase in thigh volume (in five of six creatine taking participants), and increases in performance in all six sprints. Their anaerobic capacity had improved, compared to the control subjects who were given maltodextrin.
5. Enhanced Brain Function
Researchers Wyss and Schulze showed creatine is an important neuroprotectant (an agent that increases the survival of nerve cells).
Creatine is thought to enhance the brains ability to survive the metabolic and physical trauma caused by molecules that can result in damage to cells (Reactive Oxygen Species).
Additionally, other research has found creatine to improve brain function (specifically short-term memory).
After six weeks with five grams of creatine per day, all subjects were assessed on non-verbal intelligence and verbal memory capacity. It was found that subjects who took creatine rather than the placebo exhibited improved short-term memory, and were better at time constrained problem solving.
6. Improved Bone Healing
Research has found creatine could be used successfully as a therapy for bone fracture healing or for the treatment of osteoporosis.
After in-vivo studies, it was concluded that creatine significantly enhanced the activity of alkaline phosphate, an important marker for bone growth.
Researchers believe the link to be that creatine enhances cellular energy production, which is an important factor for bone development and maintenance.
7. May Reduce Sarcopaenia (Age Related Muscle Loss)
As we age there is a natural decline in the production of muscle building (anabolic) hormones. As a result it is natural to progressively lose muscle mass.
Fast twitch fibers are the first to be sacrificed by the effects of sarcopaenia.
The powerful anabolic hormone, IGF-1, has been shown to localize in fast twitch fibers and this is the hormone most likely to decrease to a greater degree as we age.
Thus creatine supplementation into older adulthood may negate the degenerative effects of age related muscle wasting as it should help to maintain youthful levels of IGF-1.
This study helps to confirm the role creatine can play in offsetting age related muscle wasting if combined with a strength training regime.
8. Improves Performance & Muscle Mass Status In Vegetarians
Vegetarians can miss out on the benefits of creatine (as animal proteins and fish are rich in creatine), unless they use supplements. They are also more sensitive to its effects given their initial low creatine levels.
Research has shown that vegetarian subjects who took creatine supplements experienced a greater increase in total creatine, phosphocreatine, lean tissue, and total work performance compared to the non-vegetarians who took creatine, indicating vegetarians are indeed more responsive to creatine supplementation.
Problems?
Though some may claim there are some adverse effects of creatine use, there are in fact no published journals with evidence to support these claims.
There are a few studies that have helped to clear creatine's name:
In 2003, Dr. Kreider and his colleagues found that long-term creatine use (5g per day over a 21 month period) did not cause any problems for football athletes who compared to those not using creatine. The athletes who did take creatine actually experienced less cramping, muscle pulls, muscle tightness, dehydration, illnesses and contact injuries.
A more recent study (May, 2005) found 200 subjects taking 10 grams of creatine per day for 310 days experienced no significant health differences compared to those who took a placebo.
The fact is that if used correctly, creatine will benefit, rather than harm your health.
What Type?
Some studies have shown that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system, thus powder is the most reliable way to go.
It is also advantageous to take it with fruit juice. The sugar in the juice raises insulin levels, which helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.
To gain the most from creatine it is best to buy the best quality you can, buying cheap is not advised when it comes to looking after your body.
Conclusion
Creatine can provide many benefits including:
Greater gains in increasing fat free mass (including muscle mass);
Increased muscle fiber size and mass; hypertrophy;
Increased myosin.
Improved maximal strength and power.
Improved single-effort sprint performance.
Improved work performed during repetitive sprint performance.
Improved performance during high intensity exercise.
Improved recovery from endurance activity.
Has a neuroprotective function.
Enhanced bone regeneration.
Larger improvements of muscle and performance in vegetarians.
Though there are clearly many benefits to using creatine it is important to weigh the pros and cons before consuming any product. As children are in the growing phase and only a few studies have been done on the effects of bones and muscles as they grow, it is recommended that creatine supplements are not used by under 18s.
Also in order to minimize risks, if you are able to produce the gains without using creatine it is recommended to continue not to use it.
That being said, creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there and there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe.
If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now.
