What is Creatine?

Creatine supplementation has been popular for over two decades for its ability to help athletes and muscle builders get bigger and stronger. It has been the subject of thousands of research studies to determine its efficacy and safety, and so far, it’s been used successfully and safely by millions of athletes worldwide. That’s the reason why it’s one of the most popular supplements on the market, especially among high school athletes and young guys hoping to bulk up.

Creatine is a natural compound that works like a gas pump for your muscles. Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market. Classified as a dietary supplement by the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, Creatine is available without a prescription. Creatine is a recognized, legal substance in the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, NCAA and the Olympics.

Creatine is a product of protein metabolism and is synthesized in the liver, pancreas and spleen from special protein building blocks called amino acids. It is marketed as a natural muscle builder and the most legitimate sports supplement available. Supplementation with creatine is thought to increase the supply of phospohocreatine in muscles. Creatine is also needed to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a substance that creates energy in muscle tissue and explains, in part, how creatine helps produce better athletic performance.

It has also been shown that creatine produces a lactic-acid buffering effect. This allows users to add a few more repetitions to their exercises. Another benefit is that it allows you to sustain your muscular output for a longer period of time. This allows athletes to train longer in the gym without diminishing their performance.

It’s found naturally in red meat and tuna, yet the beauty of supplementation is that it replaces the pounds and pounds of red meat you would need to eat daily in order to ingest the same amount supplementation through pills or powders provides. So not only does it save you from an expensive grocery bill, it gives your digestive system a break from the work it would have to perform to digest all that meat.

Creatine monohydrate, the most common form of creatine used today, is also the most cost-effective dietary supplement in building muscle mass and improving strength gains. One study demonstrated that daily supplementation with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate increased the intracellular creatine and PCr content of quadriceps muscle in 17 human subjects. Some studies have reported up to 40% strength gains in absolute strength due to creatine supplementation.

Most users notice a significant weight gain due to supplementation since creatine increases intracellular water storage by as much as 50% after five days of use. This increased weight isn’t just water retention, since the fluid increase is inside the muscle. The weight gain increases a muscle’s surface area, allowing users to lift heavier weights.

Because of the potential benefits to muscle mass and strength, attention is moving from oral creatine supplementation for enhancing athletic performance to improved quality of life in the elderly. Grandma and grandpa may one day be supplementing with creatine just as avidly as their high school grandsons.