Creatine


v Creatine:

·        Creatine is an organic compound with the nominal formula C4H9N3O2 

·        Creatine Anhydrous [basic foam]

·        Creatinine 88% + Monohydrate12% = Creatine Monohydrate

·        Creatine is found in vertebrates where it facilitates recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), primarily in muscle and brain tissue. Recycling is achieved by converting adenosine diphosphate (ADP) back to ATP via donation of phosphate groups. Creatine also acts as a buffer.

·        Creatine is an amino acid derivative constructed from arginine, glycine and methionine. It is produced naturally by the body in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas at a rate of about 1-2 grams/day. Creatine can also be obtained from food (particularly red meat) and supplementation.

·        The uptake of creatine into muscle cells is an active process. 90-95% of creatine in the body is found in muscle and the other 5% is found in the heart, brain, testes and eyes.

·        Creatine is degraded into creatinine and excreted in the urine at a rate of around 2 grams/day.

·        In high intensity exercise primary role is to increase the phosphocreatine stores in the muscles and this can help to produce more ATP, which is the key energy source for heavy lifting and high intensity exercise.

 

·       Why is creatine so important?

The energy needs of brief, rapid and powerful movements lasting fewer than 10 seconds, such as a short sprint, are met by the phosphagen system. This system quickly replenishes the stores of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which provides energy to the working cells. Muscles have an existing amount of ATP hanging around ready for action, but only a little bit — enough for a few seconds. ATP is broken down by removing a phosphate, which turns it into adenosine diphosphate (two phosphates). To make more ATP, the muscles need to get the missing third phosphate from somewhere, quickly.

·        This is where creatine phosphate comes in. It takes one for the team by donating its phosphate so that ADP can become ATP again, and so you can finish that sprint.

·        Because creatine plays a major role in this system, more creatine means more potential ATP, which translates into improved performance on short-duration, high-intensity tasks. Because long-duration, low-intensity activities rely more on a different energy system, they are not typically enhanced by creatine — in other words, creatine will help a sprint but not a marathon.

 

·        Creatine use can improve performance in high-intensity events (e.g., weight training, sprints, etc). Longer duration aerobic workouts may not benefit from regular creatine use.

·        Consuming creatine supplements can increase skeletal muscle free creatine (which makes up about 1/3) and phosphocreatine (which makes up about 2/3) concentrations. These are the naturally occurring energy pools that replenish ATP.

 

·        Free Creatine + Phosphocreatine. = Creatinie Pool [average storage 120 to 160 gm.] and body breakdown 1-2 gm. /day for use.

 

·        Uptake of creatine into muscle also has a cell volumizing effect by drawing water into the cell. Over the long term, this swelling may increase protein synthesis and glycogen storage.

 

·        When following high-dose creatine loading strategies, body mass can be increased by nearly 2 kg (over 4 lbs) in some days. This is mainly due to increases in total body water. However, these rapid water gains are not necessarily associated with lower dose creatine use.

 

 

·        As previously mentioned, long-term use of creatine can stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Plus, when power and strength levels are enhanced, general muscular adaptation can occur indirectly.

 

·        Boosted workload. It enables more total work or volume in a single training session, a key factor in long-term muscle growth.

·        Improved cell signaling. It can increase satellite cell signaling, which aids muscle repair and new muscle growth.

·        Raised anabolic hormones. Studies note a rise in hormones, such as IGF-1, after taking creatine.

·        Increased cell hydration. Creatine lifts water content within your muscle cells, which causes a cell volumization effect that may play a role in muscle growth.

·        Reduced protein breakdown. It may increase total muscle mass by reducing muscle breakdown.

·        Lower myostatin levels. Elevated levels of the protein myostatin can slow or inhibit new muscle growth. Supplementing with creatine can reduce these levels, increasing growth potential.

·        Creatine supplements also increase phosphocreatine stores in your brain, which may promote brain health and improve symptoms of neurological disease such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease). More human trials are needed to confirm this.

·        It reduces Lactic acid level in the muscles thus delay fatigue.

 

Ø How is creatine extracted?

Creatine monohydrate is easily synthesized from N-methylglycine (sarcosine) and cyanamide in the presence of salt and base.

Sodiumsarcosinate acid, cyanamide, water →Reaction→ Separation →Washing →Drying →Packing → Creapure

Ø Summary and recommendations:

                  If you decide to use a creatine supplement:

  • Use the monohydrate form
  • Consume 3-5 grams/day, Maximum is 10 grams/day [ For better absorption]
  • Cooking food may degrade it about 30% otherwise food and supplements source are equally bio available
  • You can also take your creatine before and/or after workout sessions with your workout nutrition
  • Take a break from creatine supplementation after using for 12-16 weeks.

 

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11851597                                                                                      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10731017/

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23851411/