May14What Is Creatine?
Creatine is one of the most popular and tested fitness supplements today. Odds are you know someone who uses or has used creatine.
Creatine is a naturally occurring and can be found in muscle tissue in humans.
You can think of creatine as an energy reserve your body can go to when it needs an extra boost.
Creatine is naturally produced in our liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
We also can get it from particular foods, because all vertebrate animals contain creatine in their muscles.
So if you eat meat, you are getting extra creatine in your diet. Red meat specifically (beef, lamb bison), has the highest amounts of dietary creatine.
Why do people take it?
All cells of your body rely on ATP for energy. The problem is your body can only replenish ATP so quickly. With intense exercise, you’ll use more ATP than your body can make. Which means you’ll run out and energy will be limited.
So what does creatine have to do with this? Creatine can be quickly converted to ATP.
The more creatine you consume, the more will be in your muscles. The more creatine you have in your muscles, the longer you should be able to sprint at max effort, lift heavy etc.
Should someone take creatine and is it safe?
Most people likely don’t need to take creatine. If you are competing in anyway then you might look into it else you should keep your focus on quality nutrition.
Most quality studies don’t show any short or long term effects regarding the use of creatine monohydrate . With that said there is evidence that taking creatine can cause kidney damage, dehydration, diarrhea and upset stomach.
If you do choose to take creatine the best option is creatine monhydrate as its been the most tested. Aim to get 16-18 ounces of water for every 5 grams of creatine you take to keep hydrated.