Creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports supplement available today. There are numerous studies backed by anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine supplementation. Creatine increases fat free mass and improves anaerobic and aerobic performance.
Creatine is used for the resynthesis of ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the "power" that drives muscular energetics. When a muscle is required to contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by breaking this bond powers the contraction of the muscle.
When ATP is depleted within the cell, the cell can no longer contract. There are several methods by which the body rebuilds ATP. The fastest method is through Creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate is "split" to yield the phosphate portion of the molecule.
This phosphate portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP.
Supplementation with creatine increases Cretine Phosphate level within the muscle, allowing further capacity to regenerate ATP. It enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise.
Creatine is a natural constituent of meat, mainly found in red meat. Creatine is manufactured naturally in the body from the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine. This process takes place in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
In the beginning, the creatine supplements consist of creatine monohydrate, phosphate or citrate. Creatine citrate is the most expensive form and used only in effervescent formulas. In depth Creatine Monohydrate is the original and the most wide sold creatine product out of all the rest. Almost all studies conducted concerning creatine used creatine monohydrate, and reached to amazing results and conclusions.
The next step was the micronized creatine. The micronized creatine is finely grinded creatine monohydrate (10 - 20 times smaller particles than regular creatine particles). It dissolves better in liquid and the smaller particle size leads to easier and faster digestion and uptake into the blood. Some who report stomach upset with regular creatine monohydrate find the problem alleviated by switching to micronized creatine. It is a little more expensive than regular creatine but some say it's worth it.
These form require a loading phase. To produce optimal results, muscle stores must be topped off or saturated with it. To accomplish this you need to load the creatine for 5-7 days at 0,3 grams per kilograms of bodyweight, spread out throughout the day into 4-5 servings.
Following this phase, all you need is to take 3-5 grams a day to maintain your saturation levels. After this, any creatine you take will be excreted as creatinine.
Creatine transport systems is the third generation of the creatine formulas. These supplements contains creatine, simple sugars and other insulinogenic compounds. The insulin drives nutrients into our muscles to assist them in recovery. If you take creatine with fast burning carbs and other insulin mimickers, it will increase the absorption rate in your muscles.
Effervescent creatine is a new trend that is catching on with some bodybuilders and athletes.
Effervescent Creatines are a combination of creatine monohydrate or citrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. These combination helps the absorption of the creatine. People prefer effervescent creatine due to the added taste, increased absorption, added solubility.
Creatine Ethyl Ester is a creatine molecule with an ester attached. Normal creatine molecules are zwitterions, or molecules with one positive end and one negative end. This causes less absorption into the body. However, the ester counteracts the charges and allows for almost 99% absorption into the body! This removes the need for a loading phase, and is the most absorbent creatine. It means that it has all of the same benefits of monohydrate, but the dosage requirements are lower, there is no loading phase, increased absorption, and that the "creatine bloat" will be no more.
Creatine orate is another type of creatine bonded to a molecule. This time, the molecule is orotic acid. Orotic acid is a precursor of nucleic acids which help optimal cell functioning and energy use from ATP. So this is actually creatine, which has its own energy enhancing properties, and orotic acid, which increases ATP levels in 3 ways.
When you combine creatine monohydrate and malic acid, the result is a white, odorless powder known as tri-creatine malate. It is made from three creatine molecules that are attached to one malic acid molecule, hence the name tri-creatine malate.
Tri Creatine Malate is more soluble in water than your basic creatine monohydrate. What this eliminates is the possibility of any gastric/intestinal disruption, and also effects the ATP cycle more efficiently than basic monohydrate. Also, tri-creatine malate is said to more bioavailable than the other forms of creatine.
Kre-Alkalyn is said to have the benefits of regular creatine, without the side effects associated with regular creatine monohydrate. Kre-Alkalyn is produced at a higher PH level than your basic creatine monohydrate. Many believe that the conversion of creatine into creatinine is directly related to the functions of PH levels, and that the resulting conversion of creatine into creatinine, a waster product, can be avoided by manipulating the PH level. Thus, stopping this conversion will allow better absorption, and less creatine is necessary.
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Creatines
