Creatine Faq

Creatine Faq

* What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound that can be made in our bodies or taken as a dietary supplement. The chemical name for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. That sure is a mouth full – which is why it is much easier to just call it creatine. Here is the chemical makeup of creatine –

Creatine is made up of three amino acids – Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. Our liver has the ability to combine these three amino acids and make creatine. The other way we get creatine is from our diet.

* How much Creatine do we have in our body?

This varies based on the amount of muscle mass you have and your weight. On average a 160 pound person would have about 120 grams of creatine stored in their body.

* Where is Creatine stored in our body?

It is believed that 95 – 98% of the creatine in our body is stored in our muscles. The remaining about 2- 5% is stored in various other parts of the body including the brain, heart and testes.

* So what does creatine do?

Now is when the fun begins. First, before we answer this question – understand that the theory of what creatine does – is just that – theory. It is amazing how little we actually know about what goes on in our body. Anyway, we will outline what the majority of research currently agrees on in terms of what role creatine plays in our body.

1. Provide additional energy for your muscles

Time for a quick and simple biology lesson. In your body you have a compound called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). Think of ATP as an energy containing compound. What is important to know about ATP is that the body can very quickly get energy from a ATP reaction. You have other sources of energy such as carbohydrates and fat – but they take longer to convert into a useable energy source. When you are doing an intense quick burst activity – such as lifting a weight or sprinting, your muscles must contract and need a quick source of energy. This immediate energy comes from ATP.

Okay – still with us? Here is where it gets interesting. When your muscles use ATP for energy a chemical process happens where the ATP is broken down into two simpler chemicals ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and inorganic phosphate. This process of ATP turning into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles the ability to contract. Unfortunately, we do not have an endless supply of ATP. In fact, your muscles only contain enough ATP to last about 10-15 seconds at maximum exertion. In case you were wondering – no, the ADP can not be used to create more energy for your muscles.

Here is where the creatine comes in – or more specifically the creatine phosphate (CP). We don’t want to go into great detail on creatine vs. creatine phosphate now (that is in a later article) – all you need to know now is that the majority of creatine that is stored in the muscles bonds with abundant phosphorus stores in the muscles and is converted into Creatine Phosphate (CP). CP is able to react with the ADP in your body and turn “useless” ADP back into the “super useful” energy source – ATP. More ATP in your body means more fuel for your muscles.

2. Volumization of your muscles

Looks like we just made up that word -Volumization – doesn’t it? Actually, it’s just a fancy name for the process of pulling fluid into the muscle cells and thus increasing the volume of the muscles. Creatine has been shown to pull water into your muscle cells, which increases the size of your muscles. Don’t get to excited – it is not clear how great an effect this has. Point #1 is a much clearer benefit of creatine.

3. Buffer Lactic Acid build-up

New research has shown that creatine can help buffer lactic acid that builds-up in the muscles during exercise. This leads to that nasty burning feel you get in your muscles. Scientifically it is a complicated process – basically the creatine bonds with a Hydrogen ion and that helps delay the build up of lactic acid. More research needs to be done to see if this point is true.

4. Enhances Protein Synthesis

There is some data to indicate that creatine helps put the body in a more anabolic state where protein synthesis can occur. The more protein synthesis – the greater the muscle gain.

Well – there you have what creatine does in a very simplified nutshell. Of all 4 points – point #1 is the most use of creatine in the body. The other points are more debated – but still look to be valid.

* Is the 120 grams of creatine in my body enough?

Maybe. The whole idea behind taking creatine as supplement is that if you workout you burn-up a lot of creatine. If you take a creatine supplement you will have more energy – because the ATP energy cycle can go on for a longer time. We go into supplementation in another article – but here is the quick run down. Unfortunately your muscle’s creatine supply is not limitless. The average human has between 3.5 and 4 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle. Once you use up the creatine in your muscle you have to rest your muscles and wait a while before you can exercise the muscle again. Studies have shown that the human muscle can store up to 5 grams of creatine per kilogram. So, by taking a creatine supplement you can raise your levels from 3.5 to 5 grams of creatine – and thus enjoy more of the benefits of creatine.

* What happens to creatine that is not used by the body?

Excess creatine is eventually converted into the waste product creatinine and excreted from the body.

* IS Creatine dangerous?

This is the question we will examine in this article. We will make one very basic assumption throughout this article – you are not abusing creatine. By this we mean you are taking or thinking about taking creatine within the recommended dosage. This is an important distinction to make, because anything can become dangerous if you take to much of it. Vitamin C can have very harmful effects if you take too much of it – but that does not mean it is unsafe.

So, for the rest of this article when we discuss potential side effects and safety we will assume that you are taking the recommended dosage of creatine.

* Are there any short term side effects of creatine?

There have been hundreds of studies done on creatine that all show that it is a safe supplement. There are really very few side effects reported with creatine use but they include: upset stomach, muscle cramping, diarrhea and dehydration. Most of these side effects can be minimized by drinking plenty of water when taking creatine. In addition, people tend to have more side effects when taking the powder as opposed to a more direct delivery method like serum or effervescent powder.

It is important to understand that creatine does not effect your hormone levels. This means you do NOT get side effects like bad skin and mood swings. It is also important to note that everyone is different. While 95% of the people may have no problems with creatine – it may just really bother your stomach. In the end if you find that creatine causes you problems then it makes sense not to take it.

* Are there any long term side effects of creatine?

This is the most hotly debated question out there. We touch on this in our article on Teenagers and Creatine. The problem is there have not been enough long term studies done on creatine use as a supplement. With a lack of clear data people tend to speculate and that leads to controversy.

Many scientist agree that when taken within normal dosage, creatine in theory should pose no long term health risks. On the other hand, other people like to have data saying that it has been tested over a long period before they will say it is safe. They will point to the fact that no study has studied creatine use for over 3 months. Luckily that is all changing now.

On November 12, 1999 at the 19th Annual Southwest American College of Sports Medicine Meeting, two long termcreatine studies were presented from the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at the University of Memphis*. Both studies showed that 9 months of creatine supplementation (taking an average of 5 grams per day) in athletes had no negative effects on markers of renal function or muscle and liver enzymes in comparison to athletes not taking creatine.

* Here are the actual studies referenced above

1.Kreider R, Rasmussen C, Ransom C, Melton C, Greenwood M, Stroud T, Cantler E, Milnor P, Almada A, Greenhaff P. Long-term creatine supplementation does not affect markers of renal stress in athletes.
2.Almada A, Kreider R, Ransom J, Melton C, Rasmussen C, Greenwood M, Stroud T, Cantler E, Milnor P, Earnest C. Long-term creatine supplementation does not affect muscle or liver enzyme efflux in athletes.

In fact some studies have shown that creatine can help reduce your chances of heart disease and adult on-set diabetes. It was found that after 51 days of taking creatine the study group had a 22% decrease in VLDL-cholesterol levels and a 23% decrease in blood triglyceride levels. VLDL-cholesterol and triglycerides are risk factors for heart disease and adult on-set diabetes.

We make this point to show that as more studies are done it may be that more benefits of creatine are discovered. Studies don’t always just show negative long term effects. A classic example of this has been the recent discoveries with alcohol. New studies show that 2 drinks a day can have very beneficial effects in reducing your chance of heart disease. Of course, like creatine – if you abuse alcohol it can have negative effects.

* So, are you guaranteeing that creatine is safe?

Of course not – there are only two guarantees in life – death and taxes. New studies are being done all the time. The best we can do is operate with the data we have in front of us. Your decision on whether to take creatine should be done with your doctor. It may be that you have an existing condition that could be harmful if you took creatine. You may be taking a drug that would have a negative interaction with creatine. There are many variables that come into play.

In the end, everyone can interpret studies in a different way. From our view, nothing is out there to indicate that creatinehas long term negative effects. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion – but that is the way we feel.

* What is this I hear about liver and kidney damage with creatine?

This can be a problem if you abuse creatine. Any creatine your body does not use is excreted as a waste product called creatinine. If you take 20 grams a day of creatine – your body will not be able to use most of it and will have to excrete the excess. Over time this constant excretion of creatinine can put a lot of work on your kidneys and liver. If you force them to work to hard that can lead to serious problems.
Here are the creatine brands I recommend :

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