"Have you ever heard of creatine? Creatine is used to increase muscle mass, endurance and improve recovery after physical exertion. This is why it is used successfully by many athletes in both professional and amateur fields"
What is true about all this?
discovered in the flesh by the French Chevreul. Our body is able to synthesize it autonomously starting from three other amino acids called respectively arginine, glycine and methionine. Creatine is produced in the liver, kidney and pancreas
After production it is transported to the brain, heart and especially to the muscles (95%).
The daily requirement of creatine is about 2 grams and is satisfied for 50% by the diet (1g) and for the other 50% by endogenous synthesis.
CREATINE IN FOODS:
Foods
Beef
* Cooking food determines a partial destruction of the creatine contained in them.
why does creatine work?
The positive effects of creatine on performance derive from its ability to release energy in moments of maximum metabolic demand. Creatine is in fact a precursor for the formation of ATP, the main form of energy used by cells.
Creatine is converted in the body to phosphocreatine (approximately 70% within the muscle) by acquiring a phosphorus atom.
During muscle contraction, ATP is transformed into ADP, releasing a phosphoric radical that provides energy. At this point, by adding a phosphorus atom to ADP, it is possible to re-synthesize ATP, supplying the cells with new energy.
During a particularly intense effort, phosphocreatine performs precisely this function, releasing its phosphorus atom and reforming ATP starting from ADP.
This energetic mechanism is very important during the transition from a condition of rest or moderate effort to a condition of maximum energy demand (for example during a sprint, when lifting an important load or during the final sprint).
In fact, phosphocreatine represents an energy reserve pool that can be quickly used to restore the muscle content of ATP.
This brief metabolic analysis explains why creatine is particularly effective for maximal or sub-maximal sprints or efforts (2 to 30 seconds). On the other hand, its effects are practically nil for long-term sports such as triathlon or marathon (see: Energy systems in muscular work).
they already have maximum reserves of phosphocreatine. For these subjects its supplementation is completely useless.From this initial premise it follows that creatine supplementation is of some use only in the case of a reduced intake with the diet (see "vegetarian diet") or when metabolic demands increase (particularly intense physical efforts).
Numerous studies have been carried out with the aim of finding the most suitable doses and methods of intake to maximize the effects of creatine.
In professional athletes, supplementation is normally done with a loading dose of 5g 4 times a day (20g / day) for 4-6 days followed by 2g / day for 3 months (a recent study shows that this maintenance dose does not brings additional performance benefits, Med Sci Sports Exerc 2005; 37: 2140-7)
A "softer" approach involves taking lower doses, in the order of 2.5 - 6 g / day for no more than 2 weeks.
However, each cycle of oral creatine is followed by a month of abstinence.
In fact, the muscle has a maximum capacity to store creatine (150 mmol / kg) and the higher the concentration, the less the subject responds to new additions.
The endogenous production of creatine during a dietary supplementation tends to decrease and returns to normal after a variable period of suspension of food supplementation (Persky AM & Brazeau GA: Clinical pharmacology of the dietary supplement creatine monohydrate. Pharmacol Rev 2001; 53: 161-176 )
After oral administration of creatine, its transport at the intracellular level depends on the actual need of the organism, and is positively influenced by the presence of catecholamines, IGF 1, insulin. For this reason it is often combined with branched chain amino acids and carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (the famous banana).
On the other hand, caffeine inhibits the resynthesis of phosphocreatine during muscle recovery, so the simultaneous intake of creatine, caffeine and / or guarana is not recommended.
and water retention: creatine gives an apparent sensation of increased muscle mass thanks to the increased intracellular water retention in the muscles.Following the "massive use of creatine, an increase in body weight is therefore likely, which is particularly detrimental to sports performance during endurance races (about 3" more on the marathon for each excess kg)
Gastrointestinal Disorders: When taken in high doses (greater than 20g / day) creatine causes gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea in some individuals (caused by the unabsorbed surplus of creatine
Kidney problems: impaired renal function is not compatible with the use of creatine which is not recommended even in conditions of severe dehydration and in conjunction with the use of drugs that can compromise or only seriously affect renal function (probenecid, NSAIDs, cimetidine , trimethoprim).
CONTRAINDICATIONS
it has very few positive effects when combined with a high-protein diet and "moderate physical activity).Use of diuretics
Dehydration
Individual allergy or hypersensitivity to creatineDeficit of renal function
