The Science of Creatine: How it Can Improve Athletic Performance and Lean Body Mass 

Who Can Benefit from Creatine Supplementation? 

Athletes who engage in high-intensity and power-based training rely heavily on their phosphocreatine stores during workouts. Creatine supplementation can significantly improve the performance of these athletes. 

Vegan and vegetarian athletes, in particular, may experience the greatest increases in phosphocreatine stores because they naturally have lower levels. 

Creatine monohydrate is the most effective and cost-effective supplement. Consuming 3-5g per day is sufficient, and loading phases (taking high doses for a set period of time followed by a lower maintenance dose) are unnecessary. 

Athletes should only use creatine supplements that have been third-party certified, such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, to ensure their safety and legality. This ensures that the product contains all of the ingredients listed on the package. This advice is also applicable to non-athletes.

What is Creatine?   

Creatine is a molecule that occurs naturally in the body and is produced by amino acids such as glycine and methionine. It can also be found in small amounts in foods like meat and fish. The body produces about 1-2g of creatine per day on average. To get the same amount from food, you'd need to eat about 500g of meat or fish. 

Creatine is the most effective and safest nutritional supplement available for athletes looking to increase their high-intensity exercise capacity and muscle mass. Creatine is stored in the muscle as phosphocreatine in the body, where it provides energy to recharge ATP stores during intense workouts. 

How does Creatine Improve Performance 

Phosphocreatine is an essential energy source for high-intensity, short-duration exercises. During high-intensity anaerobic workouts like weightlifting, the body relies on phosphocreatine stores to replenish ATP in the muscles. When the body's ATP stores are depleted, it must rely on alternative energy sources to complete the training session. Creatine supplementation increases phosphocreatine stores in the muscles by 10-40%, allowing the body to work at a higher intensity for an extended period of time. 

Creatine supplementation for a short period of time has been shown to improve sprint performance by 5% and maximal strength and power by 5-15%. Long-term supplementation improves performance by up to 15% and can increase muscle mass over time. Creatine may also have neuroprotective and cognitive benefits, according to preliminary studies, but more research is needed in this area. 

Dispelling the Myths about Creatine 

Creatine is one of the most extensively researched supplements and is considered safe for athletes. There is no scientific evidence that either short-term or long-term use of creatine monohydrate is harmful to healthy people or those who could benefit from creatine supplementation. Here are three common myths about creatine: 

1. Creatine dehydrates you or increases your chances of cramping. 

   This claim is not only false, but it has also been proven to be the opposite. Creatine users have significantly fewer instances of muscle cramping, heat illness, dehydration, muscle tightness, and strains than those who do not supplement with creatine. Regardless of creatine supplementation, athletes must increase their fluid intake when increasing the duration or intensity of training sessions. 

2. Creatine causes male hair loss. 

   A small study of 20 males given creatine discovered an increase in DHT levels, an androgen that contributes to hair loss. Several subsequent studies, however, have shown that creatine has no effect on testosterone or DHT levels, and there is no evidence linking creatine to male hair loss. 

3. Creatine causes weight gain. 

   This is sort of true, but it is greatly exaggerated. Creatine loading results in an average weight gain of about 1kg, owing to the extra water retained in muscle cells. Athletes must consistently consume more calories than they burn in order to gain significant weight. Athletes who use creatine supplementation for a longer period of time gain 1-2.5kgs more lean mass than those who do not use creatine.