With new regimes and new diets people are starting to sit up and take a look at what can help support their bodies in growing muscle and improve metabolic health, along with cognitive performance
Protein powder has been on the shelves for years, along with creatine, but protein powder was and has been the talk for most of it…but of recent creatine’s benefits are now in the limelight!
Creatine benefits have shown improved strength and power, and muscle recovery among other things.
What is Creatine?
- Creatine (α-methyl guanidine-acetic acid) is a substance naturally produced in the body from amino acids.
- Most of it is stored in muscle cells and released during physical activity.
- Creatine supplements raise muscle creatine stores, which enhances exercise performance and helps build muscles. Creatine food sources include meat and fish.
- Most of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscles (95%) as phosphocreatine; the remainder is found in the brain, kidney, and liver.
- The average person uses about 2 g/day of creatine while athletes and bodybuilders have much higher requirements.
- Creatine has become one of the most widely used nutritional supplements. It’s one of the best-researched supplements for increasing muscle strength and power in athletes.
Creatine is a well-researched sports supplement. Combined with resistance training, it can increase strength, muscle mass, and post-exercise recovery. Scientists are also investigating if creatine can rev up energy production in the body and protect the heart and brain.
PROs
- Safely increases muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance
- Reduces post-exercise fatigue
- Great for power training
- Protects the brain
CONs
- Doesn’t impact endurance-type or cardio exercise performance
- High doses may cause stomach discomfort or nausea
- Fluid retention
- Indigestion
Health Benefits of Creatine
Exercise Performance and Muscle Strength
All cells in your body use ATP as a source of energy but creatine will mainly fuel your muscles and increase your performance during short, high-intensity exercise bouts. Creatine supplements can help boost this
-Creatine supplementation improves strength and performance during high-intensity, short-duration resistance training according to a large review of 22 studies. According to this review, creatine with resistance training increases [1,2,3, 4]:
- Muscle strength by 20% (8% greater than placebo)
- Weightlifting performance (maximal repetitions at a given percent of maximal strength) by 26% (14% greater than placebo)
- Bench press weightlifting performance by up to 43%
Cognitive Function
The effects of creatine can be extended from its more frequently discussed and evident benefits on muscle fatigue to reducing mental fatigue and improving cognition.
These interesting studies suggest that creatine may reverse “brain fog” symptoms caused by stressors such as lack of sleep and circadian rhythm imbalances, which are common in athletes or in people leading a modern, fast lifestyle.
Vegetarian diets lack the main food sources of creatine (meat and fish). Creatine supplements improved processing speed, working memory, and intelligence in 45 vegetarians. Creatine’s vital effect on energy use probably underlies these nootropic effects. By raising brain creatine, supplements increase the brain’s energy capacity and enhance cognitive performance
Foods
A typical diet consisting of both meat and plant foods provides about 1 g/day of creatine. Meat (beef, chicken, rabbit) and fish contain the highest amount of creatine. Nonetheless, creatine doses required for most benefits (above 5 g/day) are difficult to achieve without supplements.
I take creatine before gym training sessions and I definitely find it helps in my big lift days, and this will stay as a part of my supportive supplement protocol.
Supplement Formulations
Creatine supplements have not been approved by the FDA for medical use. In general, regulatory bodies aren’t assuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of supplements. Speak with your doctor before supplementing.
Information sourced through Ana Aleksic MSc
Another article of interest : Dr Axe
