Facts and Fallacies – Supplements – The Creatine Story
I first came across creatine supplementation in Russian journals translated by Dr Yessis in the Soviet Sports Review) way back in the early 1960s, though I have heard that some folk were experimenting with it before then. It was nearly three decades later when I heard about this substance being used seriously in sport.
Now it has become a very big item in the West, with pharmaceutical companies making a fortune off it, since every second athlete in any sport is using it now. Its most popular form is creatine monohydrate, with numerous firms and individuals selling it via retail outlets and via the Internet. The claims being made for creatine as a valuable ergogenic aid and as a potentially dangerous supplement, especially regarding alleged dehydration and heatstroke, now abound.
It is a perfectly natural substance, found in animal flesh in large quantities and being related to the ATP and Creatine Phosphate which form part of the mammalian energy system. Creatine is used in muscle cells to store energy for sprinting and explosive exercise and athletes apparently can increase the amount of creatine in muscle by taking creatine supplements, such as creatine monohydrate. The detractors of creatine believe that, it is not is not a harmful substance when eaten as a component of food, but becomes potentially dangerous when taken in quantities that are equal to eating several kilograms of steak a day.
What is the truth about creatine supplementation? Is it a genuinely effective ergogenic aid in sport or is it a potentially dangerous, useless and expensive waste of money?
Literature reviews covering several hundred articles reveal the following findings, as extensively discussed by Dr R B Kreider on the following websites:
http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/jan3.htm
http://www.sportsci.org/traintech/creatine/rbk.html
Dr Kreider noted these main findings:
1. Short-term creatine supplementation can improve maximal strength/power by 5-15%, work performed during sets of maximal effort muscle contractions by 5-15%, single-effort sprint performance by 1-5%, and work performed during repetitive sprint performance by 5-15%. These effects seem to be related to the extent of uptake of creatine into muscle.
2. Long-term supplementation of creatine supplements (15-25 gm per day for 5-7 days and 2-25 gm per day thereafter for 7-84 days) promotes significantly greater gains in strength, sprint performance, and fat free mass during training in comparison to controls subjects.
3. Creatine supplementation for 1-2 months during training has been reported to promote further gains in sprint performance (5-8%), plus gains in strength (5-15%) and lean body mass (1-3%).
4. Some studies report no ergogenic benefit, possibly due to individual differences in response to creatine supplementation, the duration of supplementation, exercise criterion evaluated, and the amount of recovery observed during repeated bouts of exercise.
5. The only side effect reported in the scientific literature from creatine supplementation has been weight gain.
6. Creatine supplementation appears to be a safe and effective nutritional strategy to enhance exercise performance when taken at dosages described in the literature.
7. Anecdotal reports from some coaches suggest that creatine supplementation may increase the incidence of muscle strains, but no such finding has been reported in the literature, even though many studies have evaluated top level athletes during heavy training periods.
8. While long-term controlled clinical trials lasting for more than a year have been performed, athletes have been using creatine as a supplement for over 10 years without any significant medical complications having been directly linked to creatine supplementation.
9. Cramping experienced by athletes training in the heat is related to muscular fatigue and dehydration and is not related to creatine supplementation. Nevertheless, athletes taking creatine while training in hot and humid environments should be aware of this possible side effect and take precautions to prevent dehydration.
10. More research is needed into individual responses to creatine, periodic or cyclical use of creatine, possible side-effects, and long-term effects on endurance. Specific issues warranting attention are metabolic changes in the body; the therapeutic value and safety of creatine supplementation; the effects of creatine supplementation on training volume, intensity and performance in different sporting events; and the validity of reports of increased incidence of muscle cramping and musculoskeletal injuries in athletes.
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