What’s the story with Creatine?

Creatine, a muscle-building supplement, is nearly everywhere in today’s world of sports and athletics. There is a wide range of it, from qualities to brands and types. It’s a nitrogen containing substance found naturally in meats and fish and produced naturally by the body.

How safe is this stuff? Does it really work? This is what researches have come to believe at present time. It seems to have an effect on some people, men and women, trained athletes and novices. In those that it affects, creatine seemed to increase strength and muscle mass. In a Belgian study found in Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers put 19 novice people on a 10-week weight-training program. The women who took creatine increased their strength on the leg press by 46%, compared with 25& for the control group. The creatine group also gained about 6.6 pounds of fat-free mass, twice as much as the control group. However, it should be stated that creatine tends to cause the muscles to store extra water in the muscle, giving the false appearance of increased lean muscle tissue.

Creatine supplements appear to work by delaying the onset of fatigue during anaerobic exercise. Theoretically, the more creatine stored in your muscles, the faster the body can replenish ATP, the body’s chemical energy source. However, this extra supply of creatine in the muscles may come with a price. The U.S.D.A. hasn’t reported any serious long-term side effect. Short-term side effects found in many studies show muscle cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration. Kristin Reimers, M.S., R.D. associate director of the International Center for Sports Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska, states “Usually when something is this effective, there’s a downside. With creatine, we just don’t know what it is yet.” Because no studies have lasted longer than one year, the American College of Sports Medicine cautions that more research is necessary before this supplement can be considered safe.

Creatine monohydrate appears to be the best type of creatine to use. This is because it is in its simplest form, allowing the body (especially the kidneys) to break it down more easily. It appears that some possible long-term effects will be with the kidneys. Without enough water to help the body process the extra creatine, the kidneys may be overloaded, causing possible damage down the road.

If you do decide to supplement with creatine, the standard dose is 5 grams four times/day for five days, then 2 grams a day thereafter. This dosing regimen seems to be the amount that the body can use to any benefit. Overdosing may increase your risk of side effects without offering any benefit.

If you are thinking about taking creatine for that better looking body or for it to give you an edge in sports, realize that it creatine won’t produce substantial results without a solid training program that’s already been into effect. If you’re a high school or collegiate athlete, you may want to find out if creatine is a banned substance.

Contributed by Dana Sullivan and Mike Eddington