June 7, 2008
Creatine Supplementation
Creatine is marketed as nature's muscle builder and the most legitimate sports supplement around. Professional and amateur athletes alike are gobbling up this alleged ergogenic aid, hoping to increase their strength and performance. An ergogenic aid is something that helps the body have more energy and decrease fatigue. Creatine supplementation is claimed to increase muscle power by playing a role in the transfer of energy to help the muscle contract. Claims are also made that supplementation increases muscle body mass.
Creatine gained popularity in the 1990s as a natural way to enhance athletic performance and build lean body mass. Creatine is not a wonder drug, but creatine will not make you bigger just by taking it. If you do not work out, the creatine will just go to waste. If anything your workouts should be harder. The idea is with more energy you should be able to exercise harder. A harder workout leads to increased muscle mass.
Your body produces creatine, and for the average person, there is enough. However, studies have shown that some athletes do benefit from creatine supplements, either by taking a supplement of creatine monohydrate, or by eating more meat. Meat, fish and poultry contain excellent supplies of creatine.
People who take creatine supplements may gain weight because of water retention in the body's muscles. Other side effects of long-term use of creatine supplements include muscle cramps, dehydration, diarrhea, nausea, and seizures.
Numerous studies suggest that creatine may be helpful in the treatment of various neuromuscular diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and myasthenia gravis, and may delay onset of symptoms when used as an adjunct to conventional treatment. However, creatine ingestion does not appear to have a significant effect on muscle creatine stores or high-intensity exercise capacity in individuals with multiple sclerosis and supplementation does not seem to help people with tetraplegia.
Creatine has shown to be somewhat effective in clinical studies in speeding up recovery from workouts, adding lean muscle mass, and it is quickly becoming as popular as multivitamin supplements, at least among athletes, though whether creatine is safe in the long term remains to be seen.
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