Creatine Explained
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market. Plenty of people are talking about it, but you may be left with a few more questions. What does it do? Is it Safe? What kind should I get? When do I take it? How much should I take? What can I expect from taking it? To answer all these questions, I will be breaking down the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s stand on creatine supplementation (PubMed ID: 28615996).
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What does creatine do?
There are three main energy systems in your body. One of which is the creatine-phosphate system.
As energy is used during movement, stored molecules of creatine in your muscles are able to replenish that energy very quickly; this energy system isn’t able to do so for very long, though.
As such, this energy system is primarily responsible for activities lasting 1-10 seconds in duration. Examples include heavy squats, sprinting, jumping etc.
In this reaction, creatine is the limiting factor. In other words, one of the primary reasons you can’t sprint forever is because you run out of creatine.
The easy fix? supplement with creatine. This will cause your muscles to become saturated with creatine, resulting in much more fuel being available for this energy system.
Is creatine safe?
Creatine became a popularly taken supplement about thirty years ago. Since that time, over one thousand studies have been published regarding creatine. This makes it the most widely studied supplement of all supplements.
In that time, there has been no consistent side effects reported from taking creatine. There are some case studies and anecdotes to say that creatine caused stomach pain, dehydration and muscle cramping. However, research looking into these claims overwhelmingly suggests that there were other factors causing these problems and not the creatine itself.
It is true that you want to make sure you are drinking a sufficient amount of water when supplementing with creatine; although, you should want to be drinking a sufficient amount of water regardless.
Bottom line is this: the vast body of research on creatine shows that creatine is absolutely safe for you to take.
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What are some of the benefits of taking creatine?
There are numerous benefits to taking creatine in regard to physical fitness. Some of them are as follows:
1. More power: longer sprints, higher jumps, etc.
2. More strength: more reps with the same weight or more weight for the same number of reps
3. Better endurance
4. Better ability to recover
5. Better tolerance for higher workloads (i.e. you are able to do more volume)
6. Better ability to perform in the heat
Apart from these, there are a few more things creatine can help with. Here are a few examples of benefits you can expect apart for physical performance:
1. Faster recovery from injuries
2. Less mental fatigue
3. Lower cholesterol and triglycerides
4. Reduce fat build up in your liver
5. Protect against heart disease
What type of creatine should I take and how much of it should I take?
The most effective form of creatine is called creatine monohydrate. Some other forms include creatine HCL, creatine alkaline, and others. Monohydrate is the best form because it is the only one that is 100% bioavailable and can produce 100% saturation of creatine in your muscles. Plus, it is the least expensive.
The easiest form of dosing for creatine is 3-5 grams per day. Ideally, for the rest of your life. It may take up 28 days to experience full creatine saturation and therefore experience all the benefits at this dose. However, this dose will also maintain that saturation perfectly well.
As far as when you take it goes, it really is up to your personal preference as long as you take it each day. Creatine isn’t like other supplements where its effect is realized within a few hours. It has more of a long-term effect. So, just make sure you take at least 3-5 grams at some point every day and you will be able to get all the benefits listed above.
As always, I recommend only buying from third-party tested companies. The brand I recommend is Bare Performance Nutrition. As of the writing of this article, you can buy 2 months worth for $35.
