{"id":187,"date":"2015-01-29T21:08:06","date_gmt":"2015-01-29T21:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stadiasportsmedicine.com\/info\/?p=187"},"modified":"2017-09-26T14:39:27","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T14:39:27","slug":"is-creatine-something-i-should-be-taking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stadiasportsmedicine.com\/info\/2015\/is-creatine-something-i-should-be-taking\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Creatine something I should be taking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Creatine?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Creatine is a naturally-occurring substance that is found in muscle, and is one of the necessary components of the Creatine Phosphate Energy Shuttle.<\/p>\n

What is the Creatine Phosphate Energy Shuttle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we begin exercise, there is a short period between the time that muscle contraction begins and delivery of the extra oxygen necessary to power this muscle exercise occurs. \u00a0The Creatine Phosphate energy system bridges this gap by functioning as an immediate short-term energy source that does not require oxygen. \u00a0Most people have enough reserves in the muscle to power intense exercise for about five to ten seconds. \u00a0 This system is able to recharge over a short period of time, so that athletes who are participating in high-intensity stop-and-go activities continually use their muscle creatine, in conjunction with the aerobic (oxygen) energy system, which predominates.<\/p>\n

Why do some people take Creatine as a supplement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The naturally-occurring levels of creatine in human muscle vary from person to person, and can only be measured through muscle biopsy. \u00a0People whose\u00a0baseline levels are to the lower end of average can usually increase their muscle creatine concentration either by eating more foods that are naturally high in creatine,or by taking an oral creatine supplement.\u00a0When the concentration of intramuscular creatine is increased, the net result is better muscle delivery of\u00a0ATP (the energy source that both oxygen and non-oxygen pathways ultimately\u00a0produce to make muscles work). \u00a0When creatine levels are high, there is also enhanced recovery of the creatine phosphate energy shuttle back to baseline.\u00a0This means that for sport or exercise that involves short bursts of high-power\u00a0activity (such as weightlifting, wrestling, high jump, etc.) there is a possible performance improvement that occurs when creatine levels are optimal.<\/p>\n

Does Creatine work?<\/h3>\n

Studies that have looked at athletes using creatine have shown mixed results.\u00a0There is no question that taking creatine regularly will result in weight gain of between one and ten pounds. \u00a0This could be due to an increase in lean body mass or to increased body water content. \u00a0Studies looking at weightlifters who use creatine do show that as a group, those taking creatine are able to achieve more repetitions, and get to a higher maximum lift than those who are not taking the supplement. \u00a0Studies that have looked at timed races in rowing or sprinting,which are heavily reliant on the creatine phosphate system, do not show a consistent performance benefit from taking creatine (if \u201cbenefit\u201d is defined as improvement in race time). \u00a0Measurement of \u201cbenefit\u201d in other sports such as soccer, wrestling or football, all of which are reliant on short bursts of high intensity activity would be both hard to define and nearly impossible to measure.
\nAnother consideration with Creatine is that the purity of the product that is sold commercially varies widely, with studies showing high degrees of variation in the amount of actual creatine per unit weight,not only from brand-to-brand, but from lot-to-lot for many manufacturers.\u00a0This is because the supplement industry is not FDA-regulated and is not required to meet the same standards as drug manufacturers\u2013 something to keep in mind anytime you are considering taking a supplement,or evaluating the claims of a supplement manufacturer.<\/p>\n

Is Creatine safe?<\/h3>\n

The safety of creatine in people over the age of 18 without pre-existing kidney disease is well-established at this point. \u00a0There is not enough data to be able to warrant it\u2019s safety in younger age groups, though there also is no anecdotal evidence that there have been problems in adolescents who take it. \u00a0Initially,there was thought to be a higher rate of muscle cramping\/muscle strain among users of creatine, based on clusters of anecdotal reports from training rooms around the country where use of creatine is common. \u00a0Controlled follow-up studies looking at this have not shown a consistent link. \u00a0In people with established kidney disease, consistent use of creatine does have the potential to worsen the problem, since high levels of creatine ultimately will cycle through to the kidneys as protein-based waste products, which can be hard on kidneys\u2019whose filtering function is already compromised. \u00a0This is almost never relevant to the athlete population.<\/p>\n

Is Creatine something I should be taking?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nobody needs\u00a0Creatine, because it is something that is present in food products, and because your body makes about half of your total creatine from other dietary amino acids. \u00a0Adolescents who eat a rounded non-vegetarian diet will consume a significant amount of creatine on their own. \u00a0Red meat, fish, and poultry are naturally high in creatine. \u00a0Keep in mind that only people with naturally low creatine levels will even have a chance at responding to creatine supplementation, and that there is no way of separating out people with \u201chigh\u201dand \u201clow\u201d intramuscular levels short of muscle biopsy \u2013 something that is done in the research lab, not in the doctor\u2019s office. \u00a0People who do respond to creatine supplementation (with elevation of their intramuscular creatine concentrations)won\u2019t be guaranteed to achieve a performance improvement that can be measured. \u00a0The type of activity an athlete is participating in also is a consideration. \u00a0It makes no sense whatsoever for endurance athletes to consume creatine for a performance advantage. \u00a0Similarly, sports such as soccer or basketball, which are stop-and-go sports, but which also rely heavily on the aerobic energy system are unlikely to benefit from creatine use. \u00a0If there is one use for creatine that can be justified based on both theoretical grounds and on evidence from clinical studies, it would be in athletes who are resistance training, and using creatine fora defined (less than 12 week) period of time in order to maximize gains in the weight room. \u00a0Any other use would be based on theoretical benefit. \u00a0Every athlete that is considering taking something like Creatine should ask themselves the question \u201cWhy?\u201d \u00a0Creatine is not a magic pill \u2013 something that many athletes in modern society seem to be looking for. \u00a0It\u2019s important for athletes to maintain proper focus on the hard things that must be done in order to achieve both personal mastery over their bodies and success in their sport.\u00a0Reliance on pills or powders to achieve this usually sacrifices the first for the second. \u00a0Our advice to you is simply this: \u00a0Don\u2019t sacrifice control of yourself, or lose your sense of proper perspective in what it takes to succeed in sport by overly focusing on things that are peripheral. \u00a0Keep the bigger picture in mind,stay educated, and then make decisions for yourself that are grounded in common sense.<\/p>\n

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