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THE CREDITABILITY OF CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATIONS

Most of us exercise warriors have all heard of creatine. Some of us have been misinformed by negative reports in the media. Unless, we are totally informed, we too fall into bad judgment, about a product, based on one or two opinions. I am here to prove to you, that creatine, goes beyond giving athletes a nutritional edge, ( just like proper diet and rest), but also can improve general health, that somehow the media has forgotten to report!

Creatine is a small like amino acid molecule that is both synthesized in the body and obtained from food. Non-athletic adults need about 2 grams a day. Creatine phosphate is an energy rich molecule that resides in muscle fibers. The enzyme creatine kinase (CK) is the active agent transfer to one high energy phosphate groups from ATP to creatine, thus creating phosphate and ADP.

Football players professional and college use creatine to increase strength. One study documented that college football players who consumed 15 grams per day for 28 days gained more muscle mass and larger gains in lifting heavy weights and sprinting performance versus the control group (Tortora &Grabowski, "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology,pp.289-290). Creatine is used by all 32 NFL teams and more than 1,000 players ("Whole Foods", January 2006, p.48). 

But hang on, creatine is more than just an exercise enhancer. All humans and animals depend upon creatine to provide energy for important metabolism like brain, heart, and skeletal muscles groups. Think of it like this, in order to think clearly, contract heart muscles properly, and maintain strong skeletal health, we all need adequate levels of creatine.

As early as 1992, found in the British Journal an interesting article called, "Clinical Science", cited the first study to show by oral supplementation of creatine, the subjects increase their levels of skeletal muscle creatine levels. Could this mean that perhaps in the future we can increase bone density in thinning bones? Not to mention energy levels to support  exercise, thus improving general bone health? What about blood lipids? A study by Drs. Earnest Mitchell and Anthony L. Almada, M. Sc. published in, "Clinical Science," in July 1996 (Jul;91 (1): 113-8), showed how creatine had beneficial effects on blood lipids, lipoproteins and glucose as well as urea nitrogen ( "Whole Foods," January 2006, p. 51).

These are encouraging facts for cardiovascular health! Remember creatine recharges the energy storage depot and that's why numerous studies support increased athletic performance. Even in a study at University of Memphis, Dr. Kreider's found long term creatine use (up to 21 months), in subjects involved in intense physical training showed no adverse effects. These findings were published in the journal, "Molecular Cell Biochemistry", in Feb 2003  (Feb ; 2441(1-2):95-104). 

It will be exciting to watch people like Mr. Almada a former swimmer dive into the world of exercise biochemistry and other health areas, to support creditability of creatine and other supplements.