CREATINE…Should I Take It?
As a dietitian, I get questions daily from my nutrition and personal training clients.
Lately, many of their questions have revolved around creatine. Is it something that should be taken? Will it help them? Or should it be avoided?
Great questions. Below are my personal thoughts on basic creatine questions that might help you decide if it's something that should be on your radar.
WHAT IS CREATINE?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is a major player in the quick production of energy, or ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), in every one of our cells. We wouldn't be able to live for even a few seconds if our ATP production ceased.
Creatine is one of the most, and longest, studied supplements in history. The first findings were in 1835, by a French scientist named Michele-Eugene Chevreul, when he extracted it from meat. Needless to say, it's been around a long time and so much is now known about creatine’s effects.
SHOULD YOU TAKE CREATINE?
Let's cut to the chase. Is creatine something you should take?
That's certainly a question I defer to an individual's personal situation. But, in general, I am a big fan and often recommend it.
Creatine is most popular for its effect on skeletal muscle growth. Creatine saturates the muscle cells and provides access to a greater reservoir of energy, leading to more work potential. In essence, you'll be able to work out harder which will eventually lead to the end product of muscle growth.
And as I always preach, we NEED to build up as much muscle mass as possible resulting in a larger skeletal muscle mass retirement account.
IS THERE MORE TO CREATINE THAN MUSCLE GROWTH?
Would muscle growth in and of itself be enough for me to recommend creatine supplementation?
YES. However, over the past few years, even more evidence for the case of creatine supplementation has been presented.
According to Layne Nortin, PhD: With respect to cognitive ability, creatine may have implications for improving acute mental performance as well as long term prevention of cognitive decline. As mentioned above, creatine acts as a quick energy supply for muscle cells, but also brain cells. This energy pathway becomes more important during times when our brain is being used for stressful tasks.
In addition to the benefits of creatine on mental performance, it seems to also have benefits for several mental/neurological conditions. Several studies have shown that creatine supplementation leads to improvements in cases of depression, anxiety/PTSD, and fibromyalgia, as well as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. This certainly gives great evidence that creatine may be as important in the brain as it is in the muscles.
ARE THERE TYPES OF CREATINE I SHOULD LOOK FOR?
At this point, you're probably "sold" on the idea of creatine supplementation. So what should you look for?
My recommendation is a simple 100% creatine monohydrate. My go-to is from the Bulk Supplements company. What about all the other additions such as branched chain amino acids, this vitamin, or that mineral? Nope! All we're looking for is a full saturation of the muscle, and creatine monohydrate is all that’s needed.
HOW MUCH CREATINE SHOULD BE TAKEN?
How much and when should I take it? Again, let's not over think this. Five grams per day consistently. It doesn't have to be taken at some magical time (pre-workout or post-workout). JUST BE CONSISTENT! And within a few weeks to a month you may be feeling the effects, assuming you're eating well, training hard, and sleeping appropriately.
Is creatine right for you? For most cases I say GO GET IT! But as always it comes down to the individual and your unique situation. So, my first and most important recommendation is find a good quality dietitian (I know of a good one!) and have them help you put together a comprehensive meal/supplement plan and see how/if it can work for you!
As always ... GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT!
Jaime Rothermich RD CSSD LD PPSCxKB CSCS
Functional Elements Training and Nutrition
TRAIN FOR LIFE
functionalelements@gmail.com
http://www.functionalelements.net
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