What is Creatine?

Creatine is involved in the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound that releases energy used for muscle contractions

By Vincent Chen, N.D.   Talk to the Author.

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What is Creatine?

What is Creatine?
Creatine is a substance produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. It is made up of three Amino-Acids-c-15698.html" title="Shop for Amino Acids">amino acids (building blocks of protein): methionine, arginine, and glycine. It is stored in skeletal muscle, the heart, brain, testes, retina and other tissues in the forms of free creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr).

What is creatine’s role in the body?
Creatine is involved in the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound that releases energy used for muscle contractions.

Sources of Creatine
Many people don’t realize that you can get creatine from animal proteins from meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Most people consume 1-2 grams per day through their diets. For benefits related to athletic performance, creatine supplements are an option.

Why Supplement?
Creatine is one of the most popular sports nutrition nutrients ever made available. Why? Because of its many benefits. Greater than 500 research studies have evaluated effects of creatine supplementation on muscle physiology and/or exercise capacity.

Clinical study results have revealed that creatine supplements:

• may improve athletes’ vertical jumps, weight lifting abilities, sprint times in running and swimming up to 100 meters and in cycling bouts of 6-30 seconds



• may increase muscle strength when used in conjunction with resistance training;



• may result in increase in muscle mass when used in conjunction with resistance training have enhanced ergogenic effects when combined with the non-essential amino acid glutamine



• may increase exercise capacity in the heat as it causes the body to retain water



• may be taken up by the muscles more when taken with carbohydrates

How to Take Creatine Supplements
To gradually reach optimal muscle creatine levels, a dose of at least 3 grams creatine monohydrate per day for at least 4 weeks is recommended. Benefits have been shown when this dose of creatine has been taken before, during, and after exercise. Therefore, timing doesn’t seem to matter as long as supplements are taken consistently each day. Once you stop taking creatine, muscle creatine levels return back to normal about four weeks after you stop supplementation.

Individuals That May Benefit The Most from Creatine

Active, healthy adults looking for athletic performance gains. Precautions:
As with all supplements, read and follow the directions for the product you are using.

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