Creatine

Welcome to our Creatine section. We provide valuable online nutrition advice such as diet tips, fitness guides, and general health info.

Creatine Supplements – Back Up For In-House Production

Creatine is a very popular and effective body-building supplement. We produce it naturally in our body and it’s also found in several food sources, notably red meat and fish. Creatine’s primary function is to assist in the supply of energy to our body cells, particularly during short duration, intensive exercise. This type of exercise relies on the ATP/PC (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate / Phosphocreatine) energy system to fuel muscle cells.

Phosphocreatine is the sole source of fuel for this energy system and it is made from creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is synthesised by our kidneys, liver and pancreas from glycine and arginine, two non-essential amino acids. It is then transported via the blood stream to tissue cells throughout the body, notably muscle tissue cells, where it’s converted to Phosphocreatine. This is then used to fuel the ATP/PC energy system, which in turn fuels muscle cells during short bursts of intensive exercise. Creatine also significantly speeds up energy recovery and delays the onset of fatigue.

Creatine – An Important Supplement For Building Muscle

The body however can only produce so much creatine on its own. Additional requirements in cases of additional energy expenditure have to be obtained from dietary sources. One of these sources is creatine supplements. For an unbiased run-down on the best creatine supplements, check the Planet Supplement Health Portal & Blog!

Creatine supplementation is particularly popular for big body building gains because it can be stored in the muscle tissue. This helps maximise readily available fuel supplies for the ATP/PC system, leading to increases in power, strength and endurance.

Creatine Supplementation – Other Proven Health Benefits

Beyond the athletic and body building worlds, Creatine also has proven health benefits in other areas. Its ability to encourage lean muscle mass makes it a valuable aid in helping reduce muscle wastage in post-surgical patients. Patients who need to increase their exercise capacity for health reasons have anecdotally found that taking creatine supplements helps with this. Heart patients particularly may benefit from creatine supplementation as the increase in exercise capacity helps to reduce heart spasms and improve heart function.

Disadvantages Of Creatine Supplementation

Testing around the long-term use and/or potential overdosing effects of Creatine is ongoing. To date there have been very few documented adverse side effects associated with taking creatine supplements. Weight gain is one that has been documented. A 1998 report by the FDA also lists diarrhea, deep vein thromboses and vomiting as other possible side effects. Reports of nausea, stomach pain and muscle cramps have been reported as well. It’s further known that creatine use causes muscle tissues to take water from other parts of your body so ensuring you remain well hydrated is vital if you take creatine supplements!

It’s also important to note that creatine is not FDA regulated. Therefore, it must be marketed and sold as a dietary supplement or a food item. It can be purchased in several formats. Creatine capsules are one type of creatine supplement. It is also available as a chewable product and in the popular powder format. Dosage varies according to exertion level.

A comprehensive creatine supplement review and information about this supplement can be found on Planet Supplement’s Health Portal & Blog!