All about creatine
Are you an active athlete and familiar with creatine? Hopefully, yes! Creatine is one of the most researched and popular supplements among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. This white powder offers a variety of benefits in the sports field. But what exactly is creatine, how does it work, and what are the pros and cons? In this blog, you'll discover everything you need to know about creatine.
What is creatine?
Creatine was discovered in 1832 and naturally occurs in your body, mainly in your muscles and nerve cells. Your body produces creatine in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids methionine, arginine, and glycine, of which only the first is essential. You also get a small amount of creatine from foods like red meat, fish, and chicken. It plays an important role in your body's energy supply system, especially during short, explosive efforts such as sprinting or strength training.
Who is creatine for?
When people think of creatine, they often think of roaring strength athletes and bodybuilders, but it's actually useful for many more people. Creatine is a unique powder specially balanced for athletes who engage in explosive sports. Think of sprinting, strength training, or, for example, crossfit. Women can also benefit from creatine, despite the persistent myth that it is only suitable for men.
Where is creatine found?
As mentioned earlier, you can also get creatine through your diet. Foods such as herring, red meat, fish, and chicken naturally contain creatine. As you can probably see, creatine is mainly found in animal sources. Although these foods contain creatine, it's often not enough to truly experience the benefits of creatine.
To intake a lot of creatine, you'd need to eat quite large amounts of these foods. Naturally, there is an easier way. That's why many people choose to supplement their creatine intake with a supplement. Another advantage is that most creatine supplements are vegan. This is because the most common form of creatine - creatine monohydrate - is synthetic and usually made from sarcosine and cyanamide. This way, you can experience the benefits of creatine without animal products.
What are the different types of creatine?
There are various types of creatine on the market, but the most popular and researched form is creatine monohydrate. Other variants, such as creatine ethyl ester and creatine hydrochloride, promise better absorption rates or that your body retains less water. Nevertheless, creatine monohydrate remains the gold standard due to its proven effectiveness and safety. Want to know more? Read here how to recognise the best creatine.
What does creatine do?
First, a small piece of biology about our muscles. What exactly enables us to, for example, sprint?
During short, explosive efforts lasting only a few seconds, such as sprints or strength training, our muscles use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a direct energy source. When ATP is broken down into ADP (adenosine diphosphate), energy is released. This energy is used for muscle contraction, allowing us to move.
Because the amount of ATP in the muscles is limited, it's important for ADP to be quickly converted back into ATP. Creatine plays an important role in this. In the muscles, creatine is converted into creatine phosphate. This creatine phosphate can quickly donate a phosphate group to ADP to convert it back into ATP. This process is crucial during short, explosive efforts, where the need for quick energy is high.1,2
ATP can also be replenished through other energy systems that use carbohydrates and fats. These processes just take a bit longer. For short efforts, such as high jumping, strength training, and sprinting, the creatine phosphate system is dominant.3
The amount of creatine phosphate available in the muscles is limited. By taking creatine supplements, the supply of creatine phosphate in the muscles can be increased. These are the benefits of creatine for explosive power efforts:
- Helps improve performance
- Stimulates muscle growth
- Supports stronger muscles
Are there any creatine side effects?
While creatine is generally safe, there are a few side effects to be aware of.4 The most common is that your body retains water.5 But don't worry, this fluid is held in your muscles and results in fuller muscles, making them appear better. This fluid does mean that you temporarily gain weight. If you stop taking creatine, this water weight gain will also disappear. So it's nothing to worry about. A months-long study of athletes who used creatine showed no side effects or health disadvantages.6
With excessive use – this does not apply to a loading phase – or in people with existing kidney problems, creatine can put extra strain on the kidneys.7 Therefore, it's important to stick to the recommended dosages and consult a doctor if you have health issues.
How do you use creatine?
The most common way to use creatine is by taking a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams daily. You can easily mix this with water or your sports drink.
Some people opt for a loading phase. ('loading' phase).8,9 During this, they take a higher dose (20 grams per day) for 5-7 days to quickly increase the creatine stores in their muscles. You then divide this 20 grams over the day into, for example, 4 portions of 5 grams.
A loading phase is not necessarily required. You can also choose a more gradual approach. It may then take several weeks to build up the creatine supply in your muscles. Creatine draws body fluid into the muscles. So it's important to stay well hydrated. Read more here about when to take creatine.
How much creatine per day?
The recommended daily dose of creatine is between 3 and 5 grams. This amount is sufficient to maintain the creatine stores in your muscles and achieve your goals. Women can maintain the same amount as men. Taking too much creatine has no additional benefits and can cause unnecessary side effects.
Good to know
Creatine is one of the most effective supplements for improving your sports performance and muscle strength. It is safe, affordable, and easy to use. Remember that using creatine is always a supplement to a good training schedule, enough sleep, and a healthy and varied diet. Do you engage in strength sports or another explosive form of training and want to get the most out of your workouts? Then creatine can be a good addition.
Sources
- Earnest, C. P., Snell, P. G., Rodriguez, R., Almada, A. L., & Mitchell, T. L. (1995). The effect of creatine monohydrate ingestion on anaerobic power indices, muscular strength and body composition. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 153(2), 207.
- Kreider, R. B. (2003). Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 244, 89-94.
- Greenhaff, P. L. (2001). The creatine-phosphocreatine system: there's more than one song in its repertoire. The Journal of physiology, 537(Pt 3), 657.
- Bizzarini, E., & De Angelis, L. (2004). Is the use of oral creatine supplementation safe?. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 44(4), 411.
- e Silva, A. D. S., Pertille, A., Barbosa, C. G. R., de Oliveira Silva, J. A., de Jesus, D. V., Ribeiro, A. G. S. V., ... & de Oliveira, J. J. (2019). Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 29(6), 480-489.
- Hall, M., & Trojian, T. H. (2013). Creatine supplementation. Current sports medicine reports, 12(4), 240-244.
- Kreider, R. B., Melton, C., Rasmussen, C. J., Greenwood, M., Lancaster, S., Cantler, E. C., ... & Almada, A. L. (2003). Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 244, 95-104.
- LOON, L. J. V., Oosterlaar, A. M., Hartgens, F., Hesselink, M. K., Snow, R. J., & Wagenmakers, A. J. (2003). Effects of creatineloading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans. Clinical science, 104(2), 153-162.
- Preen, D., Dawson, B., Goodman, C., Lawrence, S., Beilby, J., & Ching, S. (2001). Effect of creatine loading on long-term sprint exercise performance and metabolism. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(5), 814-821.
