Benefits of Supplementing With Creatine

What is creatine? 
Creatine is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) that is produced in the body by the liver and kidneys, and is derived from the feeding of meat products and animals. Creatine (creatine monohydrate) is a colorless, crystalline substance used in muscle tissue for the production of phosphocreatine, an important factor in the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for muscle contraction and many other body functions.

What creatine normally in the body? 
In the body, creatine is converted into a molecule called "phosphocreatine" which acts as a reservoir of energy fast. Phosphocreatine is especially important in tissues such as the voluntary muscles and the nervous system which periodically require large amounts of energy.

Why do athletes take creatine? 
Studies have shown that creatine can increase the performance of athletes in activities that require quick bursts of energy, such as sprinting, and can help athletes recover faster after spending bursts of energy. Creatine is best for the serious bodybuilder. It helps to increase muscle mass rather than muscle strength, it is suitable for athletes who participate in endurance activities. However, the increase in muscle mass may be due to water retention and not an increase in muscle tissue.

Because I've heard so much about creatine disorders and neuromuscular?
Two scientific studies have shown that creatine may be useful for neuromuscular diseases. Firstly, a study by MDA-funded researcher M. Flint Beal of Cornell University Medical Center demonstrated that creatine is twice as effective as the prescription drug riluzole in extending the lives of mice with the degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis neural sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).  

Second, a study by Canadian researchers Mark Tarnopolsky and Joan Martin of McMaster University Medical Center in Ontario found that creatine can cause modest increases in strength in people with a variety of neuromuscular diseases. Beal's was published in Nature Neuroscience in March 1999 and the second article was published in March 1999 issue of Neurology.

I want to start taking creatine - is it safe?
 For most athletes do not have any negative side effects from taking creatine, although recently there have been some reports of kidney damage linked to creatine use. No consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. Dehydration has also been reported as a problem when taking creatine.

Athletes usually take a "loading dose" of 20 grams of creatine per day for five or six days, then continue with a "maintenance dose" of 2 to 5 grams of creatine a day later.

What are the side effects?
 Little is known about long-term side effects of creatine, in the absence of toxicity online was reported in studies of creatine supplementation. In a study on the side effects of creatine, diarrhea was the most common side effect reported creatine supplementation, followed by muscle cramping.18 Some reports have shown that the functions of the kidney, liver and blood were not affected by the increase in short-term or long-term lower amounts of creatine in healthy young adults.  

In a small study of people taking 5.30 grams per day, no change in renal function appeared after up to five years of integration. Muscle cramps after creatine supplementation has been anecdotally in some studies.

Benefits• improves athletic performance• increases muscle mass• Benefits for muscle disorders