HOW TO USE YOUR CREATINE?

What is Creatine?

            Creatine is a non-essential amino acid that can be manufactured naturally from other amino acids such as L-methionine, glycine and L-arginine. In the human body, it is synthesized in the liver and kidneys and then transported to tissues that require high energy demands. These organs can either be the skeletal muscle or the brain.

            Creatine is basically used as supplement (in powdered form) in the bodybuilding community. Relatively, creatine has been known to have various properties including:

·        Antioxidant properties - demonstrated by a study in rats in 2013, creatine is an effective non-enzymatic antioxidant when combined with resistance training.¹ The rationale includes the scavenger property of creatine with reactive oxygen species formed during exercise. Creatine also augments exercise competency by increasing the levels of creatine phosphate in the muscles.

·        Glycogen sparing property – shown through a study in 2010 (again in rats), creatine was found to affect the glycogen levels and exercise capacity after intense exercise with intervals of two-minute rests.²

·        Anti-inflammatory properties – it has been shown that supplementation with creatine affects the recovery rate through improvement of subjects with knee extensor muscle function damage.³

·        Muscle Development^4,5, – the property that earned creatine its “title” as one of the most used supplements in the bodybuilding community. Known to affect hypertrophy, creatine also enhances strength in both young and old. In older individuals, it was known to prevent muscle loss.

·        Strength and Endurance^6,7 – creatine has been proven to affect performance by increasing muscle strength and weightlifting performance. It has also been known that combining creatine with caffeine can boost training performance and thus, endurance.

Creatine though abundant in high protein food sources such as fish and meat, cannot be produced by the muscles of the human body. Therefore, supplementation is highly considered. In the muscle cells, a high energy phosphate attaches itself to creatine making a phosphocreatine or creatine phosphate. This phosphate group is donated to ATP or adenosine triphosphate , which in turn used as energy for activities such as exercise.⁸

 When to Take It?

            There maybe some debates in the fitness community regarding when creatine should be taken. Should you take creatine pre- or post-workout?

            A study done by Antonio et al in 2013 aimed to “determine the difference between pre versus post exercise supplementation of creatine on measures of body composition and strength.”⁹ It has been concluded in the study that “consuming creatine immediately post-workout is superior to pre-workout vis a vis body composition and strength.”⁹

            Jim Stoppani in his article, however, mentioned that it is best to take creatine both before and after workout.¹⁰ Based on a study cited by Dr. Stoppani, the effects of supplement timing has something to do with successful results.

            According to this study in 2006 by Cribb and Haves, weight-trained subjects who were taking a protein, carbohydrate and creatine shake immediately before and after workout have 80% greater increase in muscle mass and 30% increase in muscle strength. Compared to the other group taking the same shake in morning and in evening, the positive gains for the earlier group were further proven by loss of body fat. The pre-and-post group also showed higher glycogen levels compared with the morning-evening group.¹¹

            Dr. Stoppani emphasized in his article that “taking creatine alone is not half as effective as when you take it with protein and carbs.” Additionally, the Cribb and Haves study does not fully reveal how creatine effectively affects the results because of the use of carbs and protein shake. However, Dr, Stoppani further stated that that is exactly “the way you want to take creatine.”¹⁰

                Thus, a pre- and post- workout taking of creatine supplements alongside with carbs and protein shake is beneficial, if not highly suggested by experts like Dr. Stoppani.

How to Take It?

            As earlier discussed, combining creatine with protein shake and carbs has been shown to greatly benefit a group of people in a study. This is one way of taking creatine. The dose, however, can be calculated using online creatine calculators. The how much question is dependent on activity and body weight as most studies suggest.

            An effective creatine dose has been presented in an article by Jeremy Likness in 2003. He followed the standard protocol in creatine doses. Here how his dosage works: a “loading phase” of 25 g / d for 5 to 7 days, then a “maintenance phase” of 5 g /d for remainder of cycle. A common formula was also presented, that is: 0.3 g / k / d for 5 to 7 days. The equation according to Likness, however, would be more accurate if lean mass is used rather than the total weight of the individual.¹²

                The “loading phase” is based on the idea that creatine should be pooled in order to super-saturate the muscle. The “maintenance phase” is to keep the level of creatine in the muscle elevated. It should also be taken into consideration that the maintenance phase will depend on how long your routine should last. Some people take the maintenance phase indefinitely.

Final Words:

            Creatine may be a non-essential amino acid but it has been proven that it is an effective supplement for muscle gain and muscle strength. There have been studies to prove that creatine works wonders in our body. It has an array of positive effects that are focused but not limited to muscle development.

            Though there are a lot of people who take creatine post-workout and this idea has been supported by studies, a more effective way is to take it pre- and post-workout. Combining creatine with other supplements such as protein and carbs has been supported by a study as well.Go to personal trainer in bundaberg to get more infor.

            Taking creatine should be timely and should follow a standard protocol based on lean body mass instead of total body weight alone. A loading phase is considered to pool creatine in the muscle, and a maintenance phase stays for as long as your training may require. In this manner, creatine is utilized by the body more appropriately and more effectively.

REFERENCES:

¹Stefani G et al (2013) ‘Effects of Creatine Supplementation Associated With Resistance Training on Oxidative Stress in Different Tissues of Rats’ http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/11 . Accessed: 06/26/14.

²Roschel H et al (2009) ‘Creatine Supplementation Spares Muscle Glycogen During High Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Rats’ http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/6 . Accessed: 06/26/14.

³Cooke M et al (2009) Creatine Supplementation Enhances Muscle Force Recovery After Eccentrically-Induced Muscle Damage in Healthy Individuals’ http://www.jissn.com/content/6/1/13 . Accessed: 06/26/14.

⁴Fernyhough M et al (2010) ‘The Effect of Nutritional Supplements on Muscle-Derived Stem Cells in vitro’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022691/ . Accessed: 06/26/14.

⁵Dalbo V et al (2009) ‘The Effects of Age on Skeletal Muscle and the Phosphocreatine Energy System: Can Creatine Supplementation Help Older Adults’ http://www.dynamic-med.com/content/8/1/6 . Accessed: 06/26/14.

⁶Rawson ES, Volek JS (2003) ‘Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Weightlifting Performance’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636102 . Accessed: 06/26/14

⁷Team Fitrx (2014) ‘Creatine + Caffeine Boosts Interval Training Performance’ European Journal of Applied Physiology through: http://fitnessrxformen.com/nutrition/supplements/creatine-caffeine-boosts-interval-training-performance/ . Accessed: 06/26/14.

⁸Stoppani J (2014) ‘Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Creatine’ http://www.muscleandfitness.com/supplements/build-muscle/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-creatine . Accessed: 06/26/14.

⁹Stoppani J (2013) ‘Ask the Supplement Guru’ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-supplement-guru-when-should-i-take-creatine.html . Accessed: 06/26/14.

¹⁰Antonio et al (2013) ‘The Effects of Pre Versus Post Workout Supplementation of Creatine Monohydrate on Body Composition and Strength’ http://www.jissn.com/content/10/S1/P1 . Accessed: 06/16/14.

¹¹Cribb PJ and Haves A (2006) ‘Effects of Supplement Timing and Resistance Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Hypertophy’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17095924 . Accessed: 06/26/14.

¹²Likness (2003) ‘All About Creatine’ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness2.htm . Accessed: 06/26/14.