Creatine Facts
Mar 1st, 2009 | By Rich | Category: Supplements
What is Creatine?
You may have heard the clique of hard core weightlifters at the gym talking among themselves about creatine. You know like, “Yo, you takin’ creatine…I’m creatine loading…yo, Jim, throw some more plates on the bar!”
Creatine is a compound produced naturally in the body and is the energy source for your muscles. Red meat is high in creatine; since it is stored in the skeletal muscles that comprise it. Wild game meat has 10 times the creatine levels compared to domesticated animal meat. So, if you’re not Ted Nugent, you may be getting woefully inadequate levels in your diet.
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Should You take Creatine?
I have mixed feelings when asked about creatine supplementation. The first thing that pops into my head is the sensationalist stories that appeared around the deaths of some high school wrestlers after taking creatine. However, these wrestlers were trying to make weight and used excessive measures to lose water weight.
The other caution is that this is a compound that contains nitrogen, which must ultimately be processed by the liver and kidneys. Since it must be taken in fairly large amounts it may be hard on these organs.
Furthermore, since it requires a “loading” phase of multiple 5 gram gram doses for several days followed then by a “maintenance” dose of 5 grams per day with possible “cycling” thrown in…well, then, whew! You can now see the dilemma trying to explain this to the average person just wanting to take a pill once or twice a day. It’s also a messy business of mixing the powder in water or juice, the powder tends to settle out of solution resulting in a less-than-appetizing-gritty drink.
The Power of Creatine
Having just said all that - creatine can provide a real edge to a certain group of people - namely those that require quick bursts of muscular energy such as weightlifters, football, and basketball players.
This would allow the weightlifter to lift more weight, the football player to jump off the start faster, the basketball player to cut faster and jump higher.
A popular myth circulating among “gym rats” is that the gains in mass seen with creatine are due to water retention.
This is not true, creatine actually seems to contribute to greater muscle mass. I don’t think this would be true for the couch potato who took creatine. I think that by loading the muscle with its energy source, before and after training, allows the athlete to handle a greater muscular load leading to greater muscle breakdown and repair.
Carbs and Creatine
It seems that creatine is more effectively loaded into your muscles when combined with simple sugars like glucose, fructose or sucrose. So mix it with your OJ or grape juice. Some products have glucose added. I would advise against those creatine products mixed with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose.
Seniors and Creatine
Some research would suggest that creatine has an even greater beneficial effect on strength training and muscle mass in middle age and senior citizens.
One bonus side effect, it has been shown to boost memory!
