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.
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.
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Creatines