Creatine – an amino-acid found in
meat and fish as well as being made by the human body – is stored in the muscles
to be used as energy after it has been converted into creatine phosphate. As
our muscles can only hold on to a certain amount of creatine the body discharged any extra creatine via urine.
This also means that people whose
creatine levels are naturally closer to this saturation point will generally
not notice as much of an improvement in their performance as people with lower
creatine levels.
As creatine phosphates act as a
backup energy system to help re-creating ATP used in short bouts of energy
creatine supplements are meant to enhance performance during high-intensity,
short duration exercises including short recovery periods and may help to
increase lean muscle mass.
This means that performance in powerlifting,
sprinting and other short, high intensity can be improved by creatine.
Endurance exercises do not see any benefits.
To assist in improving creatine is
often taken in higher doses (about 0.3g/kg bodyweight) the muscles for 5 days. After
the loading process 2 maintenance days with lower doses (about 0.03g/kg
bodyweight) follow. To improve the body’s response to creatine consuming a
carbohydrate-rich meal with it is recommended.
It is very important to stay
sufficiently hydrated while using creatine as it draws water from the body.
As long as creatine is taken in the
recommended dosages it is deemed safe. Common short term side effects are stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle cramping
as well as a slight weight gain (usually about 1kg) because of water retention.
There is no documented evidence for any long term problems caused by the use of
creatine.
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