What is creatine and what is it for?

What is creatine?

Creatineis a nutrient that is naturally synthesized in the liver, pancreas and kidneysfrom amino acids such as arginine, glycine and methionine.

During the lactation period, it is naturally foundin the food best designed by Mother Nature, breast milk. Their best food sources are precisely fish and meat.

Note: Specifically, creatine is anutritional supplementto improve athletic performance.

Anomnivorous person (with a diet that includes both foods of animal and vegetable origin), ingests an average dose through the diet about 0.25-1 grams of creatine per day. Athletes require doses greater than 3 grams a day, since they require more energy.

What is creatine for?

Creatinehas a specific use in the athletic performance of athletes. However, it has been testedin other practicesdue to its antioxidant potential. Here are the most important uses:

Increased physical performance

Creatine enhances physical performance, especially in athletes, during repeated short bursts of intense, intermittent activity, such as sprinting (maximal effort) or lifting weights.

To highlight: A scientific article on “Creatine supplementation in sports and its relationship with sports performance” , confirms that the use of creatine influences sports performance , especially in short duration or anaerobic activities. (1)

Reduced muscle fatigue

Thanks to creatine , the symptoms of fatigue and tiredness are reduced, by providing the central nervous system with extra energy and increasing dopamine levels , as well as increasing the presence of phosphocreatine in the muscles to store energy and prevent muscle fatigue.

A Doctoral Thesis on “Recovery of performance capacity in high intensity intermittent efforts” , explains the Energy Mechanism caused by phosphocreatine in intense sports activity. (two)

Increased strength and muscle mass

One of the main effects of the use of creatine monohydrate , in athletes dedicated to activities such as weight lifting and bodybuilding, is the increase in muscle size.

This is because a phenomenon called sarcoplasmic muscle hypertrophy occurs, which consists of muscle growth mainly because there is an increase in water between the muscle fibrils, increasing muscle tone.

Note:An article entitled “Global and targeted gene expression and protein content in skeletal muscle of young men following short-term creatine monohydrate supplementation” , indicates the increase inTotal body water in subjects who consumed creatine during sporting activities.(3)

skin aging

Creatine has been said to have potent antioxidant activity against oxidative damage caused by free radicals, especially to the skin.

Thanks to the creatine Used in cosmetology , it helps skin cells acquire energy more quickly, acting against aging and favoring the production of collagen fibers, even in the deepest layers.

Notable: An article titled “Creatine as an Antioxidant” , describes the possible effect of creatine as an antioxidant and its effect on free radicals. (4)

Contraindications of creatine

There are people who, due to their health condition or hypersensitivityto certain chemical components that are part of creatine, its consumption is contraindicated. Here we list the most common:

kidney disorders

The metabolization of creatine at the muscular level generates waste. One of these wastes is creatinine.If kidney function is deficient, then this creatinine accumulates in the blood, causing other disorders in the body such as skin changes, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and headache, among others.

Note: Elevated creatinine levels in the blood test may indicate a state of renal failure in the patient.

It should be noted that creatine consumption when ingested at recommended doses does not result in kidney damage in healthy individuals.

Diabetes

If you suffer from diabetes, you can cause kidney damage called diabetic nephropathy.

If you are consuming a creatine supplement, you are generating creatinine, a waste metabolite of creatine, so if you are suffering from kidney damage, in this case, due to diabetes, then you could suffer from other pathologiesdue to high levels of creatine. Creatinine in the blood.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs and lows.

In the manic phases there is an increase in dopamine levels and creatine can provide the brain withExtra energy and increase dopamine levels.

Important: Consuming this supplement may worsen the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Interaction with drugs and caffeine

The literature has indicated that excessive use of creatine could damage the kidneystag. In this context, an inefficient work of the kidneys is then expected, since they cannot completely filter toxins from the blood.

Important: If you are taking drugs that are potentially harmful to kidney function, as they are considered nephrotoxic, the recommendation is to Consult your doctor before using creatine.

As for caffeine, it has been said that the combination of this drug with creatine could reduce the benefits of this supplementtag. There are several studies that indicate that caffeine shortens muscle relaxation time, counteracting the beneficial effect of creatine supplementation on muscle relaxation time.(5)

Adverse Effects of Creatine

The use of supplements such as creatine can cause adverse effects in certain people,in some cases because they have some sensitivity to the components of this supplement, and in others due to the same action of creatine. Here we mention some of them:

Weight gain

Among the effects of creatine consumption is that it increases water retention in muscle fibers , due to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and the consequent increase in muscle mass.

Gastrointestinal disturbances

Cases of gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach pain, nausea or diarrheahave been reported due to the excessive consumption of this sports supplement. Before consumption, especially if you are a beginner, consult a specialist for guidance.

Muscle cramps

This aspect is not very clear for medical science, since cases of muscle cramps have been reported in athleteswho have used creatine to increase their performance. However, muscle cramps have been linked topotassium loss during exercise rather than creatine intake.

Dehydration

The fact that creatine increases the physical capacity of athletes, this allows the performer to perform physical activity with greater intensity, so the loss of water is significant, and can cause dehydration in the body.

But as indicated previously, the consumption of creatine is not the origin of dehydration, it is the execution of high-intensity sports activities that can cause dehydration.

It is important then, the periodic consumption of water, to replace its loss during sports activity.

Important: There are no scientific studies on its long-term side effects in the consumption of creatine. (6)

Key Findings

• Creatine is a supplement made up of three amino acids, Arginine, Glycine and Methionine.
• The consumption of creatine intensifies physical performance.
• Creatine increases lean muscle mass.
• Provides musculoskeletal and performance benefits in older adults.
• Creatine is not an anabolic steroid.
• Creatine supplementation does not increase fat mass.
• The recommended intake is 3 to 5 grams daily.