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Provide additional energy to your muscles?
Increase the Volume of your muscles?
Safeguard against lactic acid build up?
Enhance protein synthesis?
If so, Creatine is your solution!
Creatine is a compound that can be made in our bodies or
taken as a dietary supplement. The chemical name for Creatine
is methyl guanidine-acetic acid.
Creatine is made up of three amino acids - Arginine, Glycine
and Methionine. Our liver has the ability to combine these
three amino acids and make creatine. The other way we get
creatine is from our diet.
The amount of Creatine in the body varies based on your muscle
mass and weight. On average a 160 pound person would have
about 120 grams of creatine stored in their body. 95-98% of
creatine in your body is in your muscles. The remaining 2-5%
is stored in various parts of your body, including the brain,
heart and testes.
How does Creatine provide the solution
to my problems?
Creatine is a key factor in the maintenance, strength,
endurance and resilience of muscle tissue. Creatine is an
essential muscle cell constituent.
Before explaining how Creatine can help you, it's time to
briefly discuss the chemical reaction in your body that provides
energy. It's necessary to understand this process in order
to understand how Creatine can provide more energy to your
muscles.
A Biology Lesson
Your body contains a compound called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate)
that is used to provide energy to your muscles. When you're
doing intense, quick-burst exercises (such as sprinting or
lifting weights) your muscles contract. In order to contract,
the muscle requires immediate energy.
The source of this energy? ATP
Now once your body has used ATP it quickly breaks down into
two other compounds: ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and inorganic
phosphate. This breakdown is the cause of the increased energy.
When ATP breaks down into ADP and inorganic phosphate, energy
is released. This energy is used to supply the muscle with
the ability to achieve its goal. Once broken down, the ADP
cannot be used in the same way as ATP to provide energy. It
is now useless.
You now understand how energy is created for use in the body.
It's time to explain how Creatine can help increase your muscle
power!
MUSCLE POWER
The majority of creatine stored in your muscles bonds with
abundant phosphorus stores and is converted into Creatine
Phosphate. Creatine Phosphate is able to react with the ADP
in your body and turn "useless" ADP back into the
"super useful" energy source - ATP. More ATP in
your body means more fuel for your muscles!
| Creatine has also been shown to pull water
into your muscle cells, which increases the size of your
muscles. It has also been successful in protecting against
lactic acid build up. Creatine bonds with Hydrogen ions
to delay build up of lactic acid in the muscles. When
there is an overproduction of lactic acid the muscles
burn and are more prone to spasms and strains.
There is also some evidence that indicates Creatine
improves the anabolic state where protein synthesis
occurs. Increased protein synthesis means a greater
muscle gain!
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Creatine Deficiency
Lowered levels of muscular creatine manifest as symptoms
of weakness, muscle fatigue and decreased muscle tone. Creatine
production decreases as a consequence of aging, malnutrition
and/or malabsorption of nutrients, which are required for
its synthesis. Creatine levels also deplete as a consequence
of excessive muscle tissue degeneration.
Creatine occurs as creatine phosphate, otherwise known as
phosphocreatine, within the muscle cells.
Supplemental creatine is only taken up by muscle cells and
excess is not stored, rather, it is excreted via the kidneys.
Can I get Creatine naturally?
Yes. Creatine is normally obtained from our diets. Creatine
can be directly obtained by eating meat and fish; sources
of skeletal muscle. This creatine is directly absorbed
into the blood stream where it is transported into skeletal
muscle.
Approximately 2-3 pounds of raw meat or fish contains
about the same amount of creatine as a typical creatine supplementing
dose.
Heat degrades creatine and as a consequence cooking reduces
the creatine content of meat and fish. This means you have
to consume more to get the same amount of creatine in cooked
meats. When dietary creatine intake is insufficient to meet
the body's needs, new creatine can also be synthesized from
the three amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine. These
amino acids are made available during the digestion of foods.
In particular, methionine availability sets an upper limit
on creatine synthesis since the body can not produce it on
its own. Methionine must, therefore, be provided in our diets.
Fish is one of the richest natural sources of methionine.
Therefore, eating fish (and meat) provides both a direct source
of creatine as well as the amino acids necessary for new creatine
synthesis.
Vegetarians typically express lower than "normal"
creatine levels. Creatine is advisable for athletes who purposefully
restrict their animal protein intake.
| MUSCLE RESPONSE
Not all muscles rely to the same extent on creatine
energy production. Muscles can be broadly categorized
as either being fast muscle or slow muscle. Fast muscle
fibers predominantly use creatine energy production.
These muscles rule the explosive movements, such as
sprinting and weight lifting. This is why explosive
movements respond best to creatine supplementation.
Slow muscle fibers play an important role during endurance
exercise. Endurance tasks are less influenced by creatine.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CREATINE
Some of the gains in strength may disappear when you discontinue
use of Creatine. This takes about a month. However, since
you'll be working out harder and exercising those muscles
more whilst taking the creatine some of those muscle gains
will remain after you stop taking Creatine.
Even if you're using a creatine supplement to enhance
your muscle ability, it's still necessary to follow a proper
diet and exercise to fully benefit from the increased creatine
in your muscles.
Creatine has also been used in clinical trials for the treatment
of several classes of Muscular Dystrophy. Muscles can become
weakened as a result of injury or disease. This is the case
for several forms of Muscular Dystrophy. Creatine supplementation
may improve the quality of life for people experiencing muscle
weakness as a result of these diseases. In fact, preliminary
studies have indicated that creatine supplementation improves
strength in those inflicted with certain forms of Muscular
Dystrophy as well as other Neuromuscular disorders. For more
information visit the Muscular
Dystrophy Association
Creatine increases the time a muscle cell can exert itself
before exhaustion occurs and lactic acid begins to form.
Creatine has been shown to decrease serum ammonia levels,
thereby decreasing the toxic burden on the body.
Creatine has been shown to decrease excessive inflammatory
conditions associated with muscle tissue. New creatine research
has shown the administration of creatine to decrease serum
triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
WATER
It is very important to remain well-hydrated while taking
creatine. Much of our body water follows creatine into skeletal
muscle. Because of this urine output often decreases during
creatine supplementation. This precaution is especially important
in combative sports (in particular, wrestling) where athletes
need to make weight before competition. Weight loss under
these circumstances is often achieved through fluid restriction
which, in combination with creatine use, could lead to excessive
dehydration.
It is recommended to drink 8 glasses of water each day.
SIDE EFFECTS
Weight gain is the the only scientifically documented and
published side effect of creatine supplementation. As much
as 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of increased weight within the
first few weeks has been reported in response to creatine
use. This is mostly due to the movement of water from the
blood into skeletal muscle. This form of muscle growth has
been termed Volumizing because of the increase in muscle volume
that ensues. This side effect may be beneficial in certain
sports such as, body building, but be less desirable in sports
like distance running or other endurance sports.
CREATINE HELPS:
- Increase skeletal muscle volume and mass to increase strength,
power and endurance and decrease susceptibility to muscle
injury.
- Diseased conditions associated with muscle wasting such
as muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and
other conditions associated with disuse in the aged or infirm.
- Decrease the appearance of sagging muscle tissue.
- Increase muscle tone in vegetarians, as only meat eaters
consume some preformed creatine as it is only present in
muscle tissue or supplement.
- Repair injured and/or inflamed muscle.
- Diseased conditions associated with decreased muscular
energy such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and related
conditions.
- Post surgical muscle recovery.
In Short: Creatine is used to increase
muscle tone, strength and endurance, which has the potential
to
dramatically increase performance and decrease susceptibility
to injury.
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