Creatine – Friend or Foe?
The use of creatine is extremely popular among athletes. But is it safe to use? Before we explore that question, let’s first become familiar with what creatine is. Creatine is an amino acid that is naturally produced by the body in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. It can also be obtained from food (red meat especially) and through supplementation. Creatine is produced in the body at a rate of about 1-2 grams per day with 90-95% of the creatine in our bodies found in muscle cells.
Now that you have a brief understanding of what creatine is, let’s examine why creatine is so important and how it works. The body utilizes three energy systems to generate energy for a given task. Those systems are:
ATP-PC / Phosphagen System
Glycolytic / Anaerobic System
Oxidative / Aerobic System
The use of creatine comes into play when generating energy using the phosphagen system. This system is primarily used for brief, rapid, short-duration, and powerful movements such as a sprint. For example, when Usain Bolt runs the 100m he is primarily using the phosphagen system for his energy requirements. The problem with this system is that the body becomes depleted of energy reserves very quickly. Again, think of Usain Bolt; it would be physically impossible for him to maintain the speed he runs in the 100m over the course of 1 mile.
Creatine is involved in the ‘refueling’ of the phosphagen system. Hence the reason for creatine supplementation; more creatine in the pool for refueling equals quicker refueling and the ability to keep a ‘sprint’ pace for a longer duration. Typically, additional benefits occur when 3-5 grams of additional creatine is supplemented on a daily basis. While the current data suggests that creatine is a safe supplement to use, as a precaution I recommend you speak with your doctor before you start using creatine or any other supplement.
If you do get the all clear from your doctor to use creatine keep the following recommendations in mind:
Use the monohydrate form of creatine
Take 3-5 grams per day and dissolve the creatine in a warm drink
Creatine can be taken before and/or after a workout session
Take a break from creatine after 12-16 weeks of use
