Creatine is a supplement that has become one of the most extensively studied and scientifically validated ergogenic aids for athletes. Creatine can potentially play a role in improving athletic performance, assisting with recovery, and improving brain function (Patel, 2019).
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic compound that is naturally made in the body, primarily in the liver, but can also be synthesized in small amounts in the kidneys and pancreas. Creatine can also be obtained through dietary sources, especially through both meat and fish. Approximately 98% of creatine is stored within skeletal muscle in either its free form or its phosphorylated form. Creatine is transported from its site of synthesis to the skeletal muscle via circulation.
This compound also supplies energy to all cells in the body, and is the main energy source for the phosphocreatine system when it comes to the metabolic energy systems we use during certain types of conditioning.
What Role Does Creatine Play In Athletic Performance?
Creatine is a multifaceted supplement. It can help not only to improve lean muscle mass and body composition, but also strength and sprinting performance, recovery due to its anti-inflammatory properties, enhanced glycogen synthesis and storage, and even brain function.
What Type of Creatine is Best, How & When To Supplement
When it comes to types of creatine, Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most studied and validated types of creatine out there.
“When supplementing creatine, a traditional “loading phase” of 20 g/day or 0.3 g/kg split up between 4 different doses (~5 g each dose) for 5 to 7 days is recommended followed by a “maintenance phase” of 3 – 5g/day or 0.03 g/kg” (Patel, 2019).
However, it is important to note that a loading phase may not always be needed to increase muscle creatine stores over baseline. Creatine supplementation at a rate of 3 grams a day over a minimum of 4 weeks will adequately increase the total creatine pool in the same manner as loading with 20 grams a day for 6 days (Patel, 2019).
Once the athlete is in the maintenance phase of creatine supplementation, the intake of creatine should be done after training and paired with a combination of both carbohydrates and protein for maximal effects.
Sources:
Patel, P. (2019). CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION FOR ATHLETES. National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Haff, G. G. (2016). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th Edition. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(10), 2073. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000001081
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