Creatine Information

There is a lot of creatine information out there but perhaps the most fundamental question is "what is creatine"? And, what does creatine do? What are the benefits of Creatine?

What about creatine side effects? This creatine-information page will hopefully answer those questions for you. Creatine monohydrate has become one of the most popular sports nutrition supplements in the world.

Its popularity among athletes, but among novice and professional bodybuilders alike, has grown geometrically.

What was once a supplement for fitness enthusiasts has now moved mainstream. Sales in 1998 alone were over $200 million dollars.

It is a proven muscle builder, building lean muscle tissue, but it also helps with many other health issues completely non-related to fitness and bodybuilding.

I can tell you from experience that creatine flat out works, but before we talk more about our personal experience with creatine, let's discuss more core creatine information. With creatine present, the consumer of creatine can work out harder and recover faster.

Benefits of Creatine

What is creatine? It is an amino acid that is stored in the muscles being a compound of many amino acids specifically methionine, glycine, and arginine. During exercise, it helps to facilitate the regeneration of ATP, the chemical that actually is the fuel to muscle contractions. Creatine is actually found in cow meat. Our bodies also synthesize it in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

It is then sent to the muscles where it is stored. Too much creatine in the system will be excreted out by the kidneys. According to Jeff Volek, M.S., R.D., "creatine is a low-molecular-weight compound that is excreted in the kidney by simple diffusion."

Other Benefits of Creatine Information

Creatine is a highly controversial supplement and there have been and are studies being conducted on it. Long-term studies are also being conducted for in reality, creatine as a sports supplement hasn't been around that long. It really began to gain notoriety around 1996 and has mushroomed from there. One thing that numerous studies agree on though: Creatine is a fantastic muscle building supplement.

I concur. If you can only afford one bodybuilding supplement, get creatine. Creatine, however, is also believed -- and studies are ongoing -- to help with many health issues as well including helping to reduce cholesterol levels, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, and even Huntington's disease.

This is not an exhaustive list.

I feel, though, that creatine shouldn't be thought of as such an aid until it is proven by clinical studies and double blind trials before it is canonized, like so many supplements are, as a panacea for almost every illness imaginable.

One thing is for certain about creatine at this juncture: It does increase energy and it does build muscle -- we can personally testify of that.

Creatine Side Effects

There are a couple side effects of creatine you should know about. They are involuntary muscle spasms, stomach discomfort, and increased urination.

Some have also experienced nausea and diarrhea, which can occur if someone has taken too much. Good pharmaceutical grade quality creatine will eliminate stomach discomfort for the most part.

I too have experienced curious muscle spasms or twitching after taking creatine (we use it for bodybuilding), and interestingly enough with the same small muscle fibers in the same spot. Others report the same occurrence.

Increased urination has also been a problem even after ceasing taking creatine. This is not common to all who take creatine, though, if one takes a maintenance dosage of creatine. There are some reports about kidney damage, but according to Will Brink, an unbiased expert on bodybuilding supplementation, creatine is one of the most extensively researched supplements of all time and has a great safety record. In his book, which I highly recommend and consider a de facto standard in a field where there is a lot of misinformation, he too asserts the value of creatine.

Muscle soreness and creatine usage are also well documented. One study as in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology in 1998 found a correlation between the two.

Final word: Don't take too much creatine. Follow recommended intake by the manufacturer and then follow the maintenance dosage recommendations and you should be okay.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you should always nonetheless consult with your doctor before beginning any new supplement program or product.

Recommendation

According to The Physician and Sportsmedicine, there's "no clear evidence of harmful side effects...has yet emerged." In addition according to Jeff S. Volek, M.S., R.D., "I think creatine is here to stay. It works and people can actually see and feel results." 

I agree. I know from experience that creatine also increases lean muscle tissue faster than any muscle building supplement we've ever tried. I've used it for almost seven years now and have been very happy with the results. Not all creatine is equal, though.

Their product is pharmaceutical grade quality, produced in GMP compliant facilities, and is in my opinion, the best on the market in the world -- literally.

That is an opinion formed after using it extensively.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com