Creatine supplements are usually available in powder form
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Creatine is the most studied performance enhancing substance in the world. After being dismissed as a bodybuilding supplement, its public popularity has grown along with scientific interest.
The supplement is generally associated with improving strength and muscle mass, but evidence suggests that it actually plays a role in everything. child rearing and teenagers to the brain the health.
“After 20 (and) 30 years of research on physical performance, we’ve noticed a lot of health benefits,” he says. Richard Kreider at Texas A&M University. “It’s a remarkable nutrient that helps our cells in so many ways, not just for exercise.”
What is creatine?
It is a compound that occurs naturally in our bodies and other vertebrates. It is mainly found in the muscles, it also appears the brainblood, testicles and other tissues and organs.
Our body synthesizes creatine, the liver, kidneys, pancreas and brain produce 1-2 grams per day. People who eat protein-rich animal products get roughly the same amount from their diet.
“Whenever you consume protein, those proteins are made up of amino acids, and when you put three particular amino acids together, you create this molecule called creatine,” he says. Scott Forbes at Brandon University in Canada.
What does creatine do in the body?
It plays a critical role in the complicated way our body produces energy at the cellular level, says Forbes. “It’s converted and stored into a molecule called phosphocreatine, which can then be broken down quickly into energy.”
Like carbohydrates, creatine is used produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP).which stores and supplies energy to our cells. It seems to protect the structure mitochondrial functionenergy potential within cells.
Forbes says creatine is especially useful when you’re stressed or your tissues are starved of oxygen, which can be caused by conditions like asthma or anemia. “Any situation where you need more energy,” he says.
How does it affect physical performance?
Creatine has become available as a sports supplement Since the early 1990sand has long been recognized for helping athletes increase strength and speed.
There are thousands of studies that support this, says Kreider. “An athlete with higher creatine stores will sprint faster, recover faster, do more work overall, a 10 to 15 percent improvement in performance and training adaptation. It’s not modest at all.”
Supplementing with creatine is also fast muscle mass increasesthat is why it is popular among bodybuilders. “We’ve shown that trained athletes can gain 3.5 pounds of muscle mass within 5 to 10 weeks,” says Kreider. “That’s deep. Compare it to a control, where someone is training and eating a normal diet, you gain half a kilogram a month.’
Creatine supplements can also be particularly beneficial later in life. “We recommend creatine for active aging to reduce muscle (and) shrinkage,” says Kreider.
But the researchers emphasize that it is not an elixir that can replace a healthy lifestyle. “You really get the benefits, especially from a muscle growth perspective, if you combine it with exercise or resistance training,” says Forbes.
How does creatine affect the brain?
Several articles have shown that creatine supplementation can improve aspects of cognitive performance. A small study published earlier this year found that a single dose of creatine improves memory and processing speed over a 3-hour period in sleep-deprived subjects compared to a placebo.
But not all studies have yielded consistent results. In 2023, he found the largest randomized placebo-controlled study of creatine’s effects on cognition to date. a small beneficial effectequivalent to an increase in intelligence quotient (IQ) of 1 to 2.5 points.
“Most studies show that it can affect your brain, but in young, healthy people, it doesn’t seem to play a big role unless your brain is stressed with sleep deprivation or mental fatigue,” says Forbes.
And although research on this is still in its infancy, there may also be a protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases; for example, people with Alzheimer’s have it. smaller amounts of creatine in their brain – or even physical brain damage.
“For example, if you get a concussion, you basically have an ischemic event — a lack of oxygen to an area of the brain that limits your ability to function and causes inflammation and swelling,” Kreider says. “We know that, at least in animals that are fed creatine, the impact damage is reduced by half.”
How does creatine affect our health?
Creatine works at the cellular level, so researchers believe its positive effects may extend throughout the body. “We’re seeing that increasing energy availability in the cell is essential, especially when there are many constraints on energy supply,” says Kreider. “If you have a heart attack or a stroke, for example, (creatine) reduces the size of the damage because it protects those cells.”
Analysis of data from the US Health and Nutrition Examination Survey also suggests that creatine may be involved beneficial for children. “Kids who grow up with less creatine in their diet have less muscle, are shorter, and have more body fat,” says Kreider. “Teenagers with higher creatine have fewer menstrual problems.”
It also cites research that supports the effects of creatine strengthening the bonesreducing levels low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and managing blood glucosealthough reviews of several studies on the latter show consistent results people with diabetes.
Who should take it?
An emerging consensus among scientists is that creatine supplementation is beneficial for almost everyone. Kreider predicts that over time, it will be recommended for certain groups, including the elderly or pregnant and anyone who does not eat meat, fish or dairy.
He also thinks for sure the food one day it will be boosted with creatine. “It’s going to start in the plant-based space, adding creatine to plant-based protein powders and veggie burgers, those types of things,” Kreider says. “This would make up for any deficiency they may have in their diet.”
Does it matter when I take creatine?
The time of day may only matter if you’re an athlete trying to win a race or beat your personal best. “We know that if you take it close to your workout, the results are a little better,” says Forbes.
But creatine is stored in the body as an energy reserve. “Think of endurance athletes with changes of pace in a race,” says Forbes. “All of a sudden someone breaks and you’re like, ‘Whoa, how did they do that?’ Well, they changed their potency quite a bit and I think creatine plays a part in that.
The effects of supplements can be quite long, but it still needs to be repeated. “If you stop taking creatine, it takes four to six weeks to get back to baseline,” says Forbes. “Some people will cycle creatine on and off, but there’s never been a study comparing cycling on and off with taking it for a long time.”
How should I take it?
Creatine is available in powder form, tablets or gummies. In terms of effectiveness, there doesn’t seem to be any difference between them, although tablets and powders have been around for a long time, so they tend to be the formulations tested in research.
Different types of creatine are also available, but creatine monohydrate is the most widely available and best studied.
Does creatine have any side effects?
Supplements are generally considered safe at doses that most people take, which is about 5 grams per day, according to Forbes. But some people report dehydration or muscle soreness. “There are some people who have GI (gastrointestinal) upset,” says Forbes. “They take creatine and it doesn’t go well in their stomachs. For those people, I recommend taking a lower dose of creatine.
You may need to consult your doctor before taking supplements
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