CREATINE

How Safe Is It???

I originally started wrote this article in 1998 so so info may be a little dated, however I still believe creatine is a very safe substance, however if you arent maxiinzing your training and recovery it has no place in your diet. 2/12/04

Every homepage has an article on when to use creatine, how it works, why to take it with juice etc. This is not that creatine article. This is an address to the "Public Scare" about creatine. I've used creatine and I will again. I have had countless debates with teammates, coaches, and friends over creatine - most are still taking it, but they still worry about the risks. When I opened the newest issue of Men's Health it finally vindicated what I was sure of, Creatine�s effects may not be known in the long run, but all this crap about it in the media is scare tactic junk. No doubt you've heard about the dangers of creatine. It supposedly is the cause of muscle pulls and even lead to the death of three collegiate wrestlers. NOT TRUE, says the April 1998 edition of Men's Health. In this article (edited) by Ron Geraci, Doctor Richard B. Krieder a noted creatine researcher at the University of Memphis stated that there is no link between the wrestlers death and creatine. "Two of the three weren't even taking creatine, and one had stopped months beforehand." The reason these wrestlers died was because they weren't drinking water, they were fasting and exercising in rubber suits in heated rooms. Krieder also addresses the situation where several pro baseball players suffered muscle pulls. He states that three isolated incidents of muscle cramping don't outweigh studies involving hundreds of men who showed no such problems. He further states if creatine caused cramps, "two-thirds of the Nebraska football team would be hurt." However, Eugene Coleman (remember this name) the Astros director of conditioning is now discouraging his players from using it because he believes that it forces the muscles to retain too much water. As I've said before if you drink x amount of water and normally your body works fine, then when you take creatine - a supplement that takes this water and shoots it into your muscles do you think you should drink more or less water?? Duh, trainers have your athletes drink about four liters of water daily and this won't be a problem.

In November, before creatine came into the public view I called the nutritionist at Harvard Health Plan's Wellesly location and asked if they had any knowledge of creatine this is what they sent me:

Claims:

Increase- energy, muscular strength, endurance. Delays fatigue. Helps burn fat, promotes greater and faster muscle gains beyond natural capabilities.

What Is It:

Creatine is a nitrogenous substance synthesized by the liver, pancreas, and kidneys at a rate of approxamitly1g/day from the amino acids glycine, methionine, and arginine. Creatine is found in meat and fish. A mixed diet provides about 1g of creatine per day. 95% of the body's creatine pool is found in the skeletal muscle. In the muscle creatine is synthesized into phosphocreatine, an important component needed to create ATP. It is believed that the availability of phosphocreatine is a factor affecting short bouts of high-intensity muscle activity.

Reported Facts:

20 to 25 grams a day increases muscle content of creatine by 20-30%. Approximately 20% is in the phosphocreatine form.

A maximum muscle storage of creatine is reached by ingesting 5g of creatine 4 times daily for 5-6 days followed by 2g/day.

Excess creatine that cannot be stored is exerted by the kidneys by diffusion (a non energy dependent process).

Athletes with lower stores of creatine (vegetarians) demonstrate a greater uptake of creatine after supplementation than athletes with higher stores.

Several studies of creatine supplementation have shown significant improvement in short bursts of activities that require high levels of strength and power.

Creatine supplementation has not been shown to enhance endurance activities.

Several creatine studies found an increase in body mass averaging .9 to1.8 kg (v-5-12). It is controversial whether the weight gain is due to water retention or muscle mass.

A review article in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition concludes, "Creatine should not be viewed as another gimmick supplement; its ingestion is a means of providing immediate, significant performance improvements to athletes involved in explosive sports.

Another article I found was "Creatine's Risks Unknown" from the Jan. 26, 1998 issue of The Boston Globe. It raised issue of did it kill the wrestlers (I just told you it didn't), and the fact that it is found in meat (really we never knew) and that it made $350 million in sales last year (more worthless info). Among the worthless drivel is a statement from HOUSTIN ATROS TEAM PHYSICIAN, (you know that team with the Eugene guy that says he encourages players not to use it) where he mentions that If you're in the GYM, (that's where we all live) it definitely works. "You can probably lift a little more weight, do a few more reps. No doubt about it". The conditioning coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pointed out three problems he found with creatine. The first, is that supplements don't have to go through the FDA regulations like food and the second is that if one stops taking creatine the muscle mass may disappear when the user stops. These two points may be valid. The first is true the FDA has almost no control on the supplement industry. The second point I think is debatable I never lost the extra pounds of weight (water or muscle) but if one does the simple solutions to continue using it. He further states that the muscle mass is just extra water and that it is more ornamental then functional. How is this true? I agree that the extra size may be all water but if you can get more reps in the gym then that extra size is functional. They are also worried about the loading phase and the effects on young athletes. Neither of these is tested or proven but are just concerns that people are considering.

From these articles and my experience I know a few things about creatine supplementation.

Take it with juice (preferably grape or cranberry - the high the GI the better).

Effervescent and creatine transport systems are bunk

Use a loading phase 5g 4x/day for 5 days.**** I NO LONGER ENDORSE THIS I FEEL THAT A BETTER USE IS: 5g day for a month, followed by 5g on weekdays or on training days and off on weekends.

Expect mild gas and/or mild headache during the loading phase this is something I experience and I've heard many others do also.

Use it after your workout.

Don't sniff it (This is for Max and Joe). Creatine does not enter your system faster by sniffing it. (Yes Max and Joe are idiots)

If you're unsure wait Creatine will probably never become illegal - it could never be tested for as an absolute, because people get it from both their diets and their body produces it.

Back To Main Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws