Creatine is a supplement whose effects largely depend on the dosage. An effective dosage of creatine is based on taking small portions of the conditioner every few hours for 7 days. Creatine used in this way usually does not cause side effects - it is considered a safe supplement for the growth of muscle mass and can be taken by both professional players and amateur athletes. What are the effects of creatine and what are the side effects of its use?

Contents:

  1. What is creatine?
  2. How does creatine work?
  3. Creatine - effects
  4. Creatine - what training should you use?
  5. Types of creatine supplements
  6. The best creatine - which one to choose?
  7. Creatine - dosage
  8. Natural sources of creatine
  9. What to consume creatine with?
  10. Creatine - price
  11. Creatine - side effects

Creatineis a supplement for athletes, the use of which giveseffectssuch as faster muscle mass growth, improved efficiency, greater resistance to fatigue.

Creatine occurs naturally in the human body, but for people training its amount is too small to have a significant impact on sports performance. Supplied from the outside in the form of supplements, it has a stronger anabolic effect, and also improves the processes of obtaining energy necessary for muscle work.

Side effects caused by creatine use are rarely observed - only in some people this compound causes stomach problems.

Find out what creatine is, how it affects the athlete's body and what its dosage looks like.

What is creatine?

Creatine, or β-methylguanidinoacetic acid, is an organic compound composed of protein fragments, which is found mainly in muscle tissue (98%), where it is stored in the form of phosphocreatine (66%) and free creatine (other 33 percent). It consists of 3 amino acids:

  • arginine,
  • glycine
  • methionine.

Creatine is an ingredient of nutrients for muscle mass in the form of tablets, capsules, and most often powder.

How does creatine work?

Creatine acts as a storehouse of large amounts of ATP energy inthe muscles that can be released immediately - this process occurs as ATP breaks down into ADP when the muscles contract. In order for the body to have enough energy for further work, ADP must be re-synthesized into ATP, which takes place with the participation of phosphocreatine.

If creatine is not enough, there is also a shortage of phosphocreatine and the level of ATP in the muscles decreases. This results in earlier or faster growing fatigue and a slower pace of regeneration after training. Therefore, providing the body with creatine increases the energy that our muscles have to work, which will translate into the effectiveness of training.

What does creatine give? The effects of using creatine

Research shows that taking creatine in the form of monohydrate increases the reserves of creatine and phosphocreatine in the muscles by 10-40%, which may contribute to increasing the ability to undertake high-intensity efforts. In addition, the higher level of creatine in the muscles contributes to the acceleration of the renewal process during breaks between training. Thanks to this, you can perform more repetitions of exercises, which should lead to greater training effects:

  • muscle gain- creatine is estimated to increase lean body mass by 0.9 to 1.8 kg over 4-12 weeks of training. It should be noted that the increase in muscle mass in women is not as fast as in men;
  • strength gain- this is related to the effect of creatine on the breakdown of carbohydrates in the muscles, which translates into a greater energy reserve during intense exercise;
  • increase in endurance(even by 15%), and thus - improve training performance;
  • accelerated regeneration after trainingas a result of reducing muscle acidification and normalizing the pH level.

It should be noted that the short-term intake of creatine has the most beneficial effect on the increase in the ability to perform the most intense efforts (e.g. sprint series, weightlifting). Systematic supplementation increases muscle strength and endurance for a long time.

It is worth noting that creatine supplementation gives the best results when you simultaneously perform strength training and follow a proper diet.

Creatine - what training should you use?

Phosphocreatine provides energy in the initial phase of exercise (in the first 10-15 seconds) of maximum intensity, therefore it is best suited for short-term and very intense training and for repetitive efforts, such assuch as: weightlifting, martial arts, short-distance running (sprints), bodybuilding.

Types of creatine supplements

Creatine as a supplement can be in several forms: citrate, malate, monohydrate, nitrate, hydrochloride, gluconate. The most popular are creatine monohydrate and creatine malate. Both increase lean muscle mass, but the effects of their use are slightly different.

  • Creatine Monohydrate

Monohydrate is a combination of creatine and a water molecule. It is cheap and at the same time provides the fastest results in muscle growth. Its disadvantage, however, is the tendency to retain water in the body.

  • Creatine malate

Creatine malate (often referred to as TCM, tri-creatine) is a combination of creatine and malic acid. It is more expensive, you have to wait a little longer for the effects, but it allows you to gain more compact muscle mass.

  • Creatine Phosphate

Creatine is also available in the form of creatine phosphate (it is formed by the binding of a creatine molecule with the rest of phosphate acid). According to American scientists from Creighton University, creatine phosphate is three times more effective than creatine monohydrate, because the addition of phosphate helps to delay fatigue.

View Jacek Bilczyński's compendium of knowledge about creatine

Worth knowing

The best creatine - which one to choose?

Beginners are generally advised to start supplementation withmonohydrateand then trycreatine malateas you progress. Creatine Monohydrate is available as a powder, bars, candy, creatine gum, and in effervescent form. Sometimes it is enriched with additional ingredients, e.g. taurine.

Taking creatine in the form of dietary supplements may bring results in the form of increasing muscle mass and improving strength.

Creatine - dosage

Studies have shown that the fastest way to increase the level of creatine in the muscles is its dosing through the so-called "loading method", which consists of taking0.3 grams / kg body weight / daycreatine monohydrate (which corresponds to15 to 30 g of monohydrate creatine daily- depending on body weight). The obtained sum is divided into 3-4 daily doses (e.g. a person weighing 75 kg should take 4 doses a day, about 5.6 g of creatine each), which should be consumed for 5-7 days. When the muscles are "saturated" with creatine, you can take "maintenance" dosesincreased creatine levels, i.e. from3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily . It is worth knowing that the most creatine is stored in the muscles during the first 2-3 days during the period of their administration. The same level of creatine in the muscles can be achieved by taking smaller doses ( 2 to 3 grams per day ) for 28 days. It should be noted, however, that many studies have shown no improvement in exercise capacity as a result of the use of low doses of creatine monohydrate, therefore, in order to increase the level of creatine in the muscles, the "loading" method is recommended.

When to take creatine?

  • On training dayscreatine should be taken before and immediately after training. The period around the workout is characterized by increased absorption of nutrients that can be used more effectively to build muscle mass.
  • On non-training dayscreatine should be consumed first before breakfast (on an empty stomach), preferably with juice, whey protein or dextrose, and the second time 20 minutes before lunch.

Natural sources of creatine

Taking supplements is not the only way to increase the amount of creatine in your muscles. It is worth changing your diet and enriching it with products that naturally contain large amounts of this compound. The most creatine can be found, among others in red meat and fish.

MeatCreatine content in 1 kg of product
Pork5.0 g
Beef4.5 g
Herring6.5-10 g
Salmon4.5 g
Tuna4.0 g
Cod3.0 g
Flądra2.0 g
Other products
Cranberry0.1 g
Milk 1% (250 ml)0.05 g
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What to consume creatine with so that it is well absorbed?

The substances with which we take creatine have a large impact on the rate of its absorption by the body. Here are the rules that should be followed during supplementation:

  • creatine should not be taken with foods high in fatas they may hinder absorption of the supplement and cause nausea;
  • positive effects are shown by consumingcreatine with a mixture of sugars, amino acids and proteinin the form of whey concentrate or isolate - these substances increase the level of insulin, which increases the absorption of creatine bymuscles;
  • is also a good combination ofcreatine, carbohydrates, sodium(improves the absorption of the supplement in the intestines),BCAAandalpha lipoic acid (ALA) ;
  • the digestibility of creatine is also increasedherbs and natural plant products : astragalus extract, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon bark cinnamon.

Creatine - price

The prices of creatine supplements have a very wide range - from a few zlotys for single doses in sachets to 180 zlotys for the most capacious, best-quality preparations.

A 100-gram pack of creatine monohydrate can be purchased for as little as PLN 15. Packages of 300 g are already an expense of PLN 20-30 for the cheapest supplements. However, if we care about the quality of the product, it is better to spend a little more - 500 g of good creatine will cost about PLN 50. More expensive preparations will contain, in addition to creatine, supporting substances, e.g. l-arginine, taurine, magnesium, vitamins.

Creatine - side effects. Is the use of creatine safe?

Many years of research have shown that the dominant side effect of taking creatine is excessive weight gain. In some people, creatine can also cause:

  • stomach problems,
  • muscle spasms,
  • dehydration,
  • increasing susceptibility to muscle strains or strains.

Creatine has been suspected to contribute to acute coronary syndromes. There were also concerns that short and / or long-term creatine supplementation could cause side effects in the form of excessive kidney strain. However, no studies have confirmed this. In turn, there is evidence that creatine may reduce sensitivity to thermal stress (body temperature below 36 degrees C and above 38 degrees C) and reduce susceptibility to musculoskeletal injuries. There are no known negative side effects of long-term use of creatine. More than 20 years of observations of a group of patients have led scientists to conclude that creatine can be helpful, e.g. in patients with heart disease, in patients with orthopedic injuries and neuromuscular ailments.

Bibliography: Kreider R., Greenwood M.,Creatine , trans. Popinigis J., "Professional sport" 2003, No. 1-2.

Important

Creatine side effects - effects on the skin, cardiovascular system and potency

Effect of creatine on the heart

Scientific research has proven that creatine can have a positive effect on the work of the heart and circulatory system. Creatine monohydrate has a positive effect on the stroke volume of the heart, i.e. the amount of blood that the heart chamber pushes into the arteryduring one contraction.

Creatine and acne

Creatine itself does not cause acne. However, the preparations with which it is taken, especially protein and carbohydrate preparations, may exacerbate skin lesions. It is worth noting that the ingredients of creatine supplements usually contain sugar and artificial fragrances - they can be allergenic. The greater sweating of the skin is also of great importance in people who train at strength and take supplements at the same time.

If acne worsens after consuming creatine, it is worth taking the conditioner off for some time and checking the condition of the skin all the time. If there is an improvement, the supplement is to blame and should be discontinued.

Effect of creatine on potency

Scientific research has shown that high doses of creatine have a negative effect on potency. In men who take the supplement for a long time (i.e. continuously for several to several weeks), there is a reduced sperm production, which in turn may lead to problems with ejaculation and the inability to achieve orgasm. In addition, creatine can also reduce libido and cause problems with achieving an erection. Side effects disappear on their own after stopping the supplement.

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