Your eXpert Guide to
Creatine

Over 2.5 million kilograms of creatine are consumed every year. Creatine became widely used after its reported use prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics won by 100m gold medallist Linford Christie. Its popularity stems from over 500 published peer reviewed studies and countless real world results showing this tasteless white powder actually works.

Creatine is a protein made up of the amino acids methionine, arginine and glycine. Almost all creatine is stored in your muscles with the average 70kg male storing 120g-140g and 2g/day is excreted in urine. Creatine can be ingested from dietary sources such as fish and meat or produced in your body by the liver. A well balanced diet only contains 1g/day so creatine supplementation is essential to gain the additional amount needed for improved performance.

Creatine is absorbed into the digestive tract after ingestion or released from the liver and enters the blood stream. The blood delivers creatine to the muscle for absorption where 40% is stored in free form and 60% as phosphocreatine (PC). PC provides energy for short muscular contractions so the aim of supplementing with creatine is to increase storage.

A well balanced diet only contains 1g/day so creatine supplementation is essential to gain the additional amount needed for improved performance

In a nutshell creatine allows you to maintain high intensity exercise for longer leading to faster gains over training alone. If your exercise involves repeated, short bursts of high intensity exercise supplementing with creatine should improve your performance. Research consistently shows improvements in:

• Lean body mass⁴
• Muscle hypertrophy (growth)⁴
• Strength⁴,¹⁴,¹⁵,²
• Maximum weight lifted in one repetition (1RM) ⁴,¹⁴,¹⁵,²
• Power output¹⁴,²¹
• Sprint time¹⁶,⁵
• Agility⁵
• Vertical jump distance¹⁶,⁵
• Maximal power¹⁸,¹⁹
• Repeated sprints²⁰,²²

If you are involved in repeated, short bursts of sprinting, such as weight lifting or team sports you are likely to benefit from creatine. There is little evidence to suggest creatine supplementation will improve endurance performance. The following list provides activities that creatine has shown to significantly improve performance:

• Weight training⁴,¹⁴
• Sprinting¹⁶,⁵,¹⁷
• Power lifting²
• Lacrosse¹⁵
• Handball athletes¹⁶
• Squash¹⁷
• Cycling¹⁹,²²
• Football⁵

Creatine has several proposed mechanisms to improve performance:

Providing energy

Creatine allows you to maintain high intensity exercise for longer leading to faster gains over training alone

Adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) provides the energy your muscle needs to contract. ATP stores are limited and during high intensity exercise becomes depleted after 10 seconds. Phosphocreatine (PC) rebuilds ATP in the muscle to provide a sustained energy release for movement. Creatine supplementation increases your muscles PC levels increasing the length of time you can maintain high intensity exercise.

Reducing fatigue

The duration of high intensity exercise is limited due to reactions within the muscle causing fatigue. The build up of acid prevents further muscular contractions and exercise intensity is reduced. High PC levels reduce the formation of lactic acid therefore delaying fatigue so you can maintain high intensity exercise for longer.

Muscle building

Creatine causes the movement of water into the muscle known as 'cell volumisation'. This stimulates muscle building and/or reduces muscle breakdown after exercise.⁷

Manufacturers traditionally recommend a loading phase to build up your creatine stores followed by a maintenance phase. Loading phases 20g/day split into four 5g doses throughout the day for 5-7 days followed by 3-5g/day maintenance. Unfortunately around 2/3 will end up as waste in your urine due to poor absorption.

Recent studies show smaller doses taken frequently slow absorption to maximise creatine uptake. 2-3g/day or 0.5g-1g over 6 doses for 5-6 days with maintenance 3g/day after have shown the same results as 20g/day.

Muscles have a maximum storage of creatine so taking more than recommended will have no additional benefits.

Creatine supplements fall into 3 categories:

Creatine monohydrate

What is it? Creatine monohydrate is creatine in its simplest form and is the cheapest widely available form.

Advantages

• Cheapest form
• The majority of research is on creatine monohydrate so you don't rely on manufacturer's word for results.
• Versatile, easily mixed with a beverage for post workout meals to improve absorption.

Disadvantages

• The disadvantage is poor uptake into the muscle leading to high recommended doses of 20g/day.
• People often report the feeling of being bloated know as the 'creatine bloat'.
• Different levels of quality can affect results.

Creatine transport

What is it? Research shows taking creatine monohydrate with 35g-100g carbohydrate increases uptake into the muscle. Carbohydrates raise insulin levels which transports creatine into the muscle, so more insulin means greater creatine uptake. Manufacturers commonly put this on the label as their 'proprietary creatine transport system'.

Advantages

• Higher absorption
• Supported by research

Disadvantages

• Use of simple sugars in the transport system that can add unwanted calories to your diet. Some products overcome this by using alternative methods to transport creatine.
• Can be difficult to find out what is in the 'proprietary creatine transport system'.

Creatine Ethyl Ester

Creatine supplementation increases your muscles PC levels increasing the length of time you can maintain high intensity exercise

What is it? Creatine ethyl esters are the latest development in creatine. Made from creatine monohydrate with an ester (inorganic compound) attached. Semi-lipopholic creatine enters the muscle through lipids in the membrane so 100% absorption is difficult. Esters use lipids more effectively to cross into the muscle for maximum absorption.

Advantages

• Higher absorption
• No loading phases
• Lower doses can be used due to higher absorption

Disadvantages

• Advanced formulas so more costly
• Lack of research backing claims as they are new products

This depends if you have used creatine before, the results you got and how long you have been training. Use the table to help guide you.

New to creatine

Start with a creatine monohydrate. There's no need to use creatine if you have just starting training. You will notice fast gains with your training alone, instead use after 3-4 months when you notice plateaus in your performance.

Used creatine monohydrate before

If you have used creatine monohydrate before and have noticed no further gains try a creatine transport or ethyl ester.

Used creatine transport before

If you want maximum absorption without extra calories try a creatine ethyl ester.

In some cases creatine use has been reported to cause:

• Stomach cramping
• Renal and liver function
• Muscle cramping

There is no scientific evidence to support these effects but making sure you drink plenty of water should reduce cramping. There is little research on long term effects of creatine use therefore care should be taken in those with liver or renal problems.

Do men and women respond to creatine?

Yes. It was once a misconception that women could not use creatine and get the same benefits as men. However, that notion has been dispelled and there is data suggesting women may have higher resting levels than men⁹. Many studies prove without a doubt creatine can increase performance in men and women!

Can creatine be consumed with caffeine?

This is a grey area. There has been a study showing caffeine ingestion prevents the creatine enhanced contractile ability of muscle if taken at the same time¹⁰. There are also studies that have used caffeine containing drinks like tea and coffee when talking creatine and the positive performance effects are still demonstrated¹¹.

It is made even more confusing as caffeine has been shown time and time again to improve power and endurance performance. To be on the safe side and until we get a conclusive answer on this area you can use creatine with your preferred transport method and drink your caffeine at other times of the day.

What are 'non-responders'?

Around 2 in every 10 people will see no benefits when using creatine and are termed 'non-responders'. Measurements show that creatine stores in non responders are only slightly increased. The only way to find out if you're a responder is to go head and try using creatine.

I am a Vegetarian, will creatine be useful for me?

Vegetarians will benefit the greatest from creatine supplementation. Creatine in the diet is found in meat and fish therefore vegetarians have the lowest low starting creatine stores. This lower starting point allows a greater range to increase creatine levels and as such a greater enhancement of performance.

Are there any Additional benefits of creatine supplementation?

Creatine can also help mediate insulin levels and has shown promise in aiding patients with neuromuscular diseases.

Is there a best time to take creatine supplements?

The optimum time to take creatine is immediately post exercise. Research carried out by Professor Roger Harris demonstrated exercise muscle have a greater increase in muscle creatine levels above non-exercising muscles¹².