Creatine and athletic performance -
Not necessarily. Your body actually naturally produces creatine on its own, and further saturating your creatine stores with supplementation might allow you to go a little harder on your next ride, run, or swim, improving your overall health and performance. So should you take it? Well, that depends.
Consider these pros, cons, and other factors before deciding if creatine supplementation is right for you. Creatine monohydrate is an amino acid that is vital for producing adenosine triphosphate ATP , the primary energy source for muscle contractions. The main reason for supplementing with creatine monohydrate is to saturate your intramuscular phosphocreatine stores and free-creatine levels.
This saturation is not possible through diet alone. By supplementing with creatine monohydrate, endurance athletes can enhance ATP production and improve exercise performance.
Creatine also offers benefits outside of exercise performance. Emerging and recent evidence highlights potential brain health benefits from creatine supplementation.
Cycling creatine in a loading, maintenance, and rest phase is not recommended, nor required. Time of day has little effect on its effectiveness, and you can take it pre- or post-session.
Many people like to take it with a protein shake after the most challenging session of the day. It remains saturated for about weeks, depending on the individual. While creatine monohydrate is not a banned substance, it could be manufactured in a facility that handles banned products.
Like any supplement, purchase through a reputable brand and consume products with NSF Sport, Informed-Sport, or HASTA certification. Creapure is a form of creatine monohydrate known for its purity. Creatine monohydrate has been shown to improve muscle power and strength, even in endurance athletes.
A study demonstrated that creatine supplementation significantly increased cycling power output in well-trained triathletes, leading to improved performance during cycling segments of a triathlon. This increased power output can translate into more efficient cycling. Creatine monohydrate supplementation increases the capacity for high-intensity, short-duration exercise.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand outlines how creatine supplementation can improve performance in repeated sprints and intermittent exercise.
By increasing the availability of ATP, creatine monohydrate may delay the onset of fatigue and allow endurance athletes to sustain higher intensities for repeated efforts in training. Through repetition of higher-intensity training, you can expect adaptations that translate into improved race performance.
Put another way, if you can do more in training whether it be more load or repetitions in strength training, swimming more laps, riding hill repeats stronger, or hitting faster sprint repeats on the track , those incremental changes in volume and intensity will translate to improved performance over time.
Research suggests that creatine monohydrate can aid in recovery from intense exercise. One such study reported that creatine supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle damage and promoted faster recovery in resistance-trained individuals.
This accelerated recovery can benefit cyclists, runners, and triathletes, helping them handle their training load and reduce the risk of overtraining or injury. While this is extrapolated from resistance-based athletes, muscle breakdown physiology is the same.
The benefits of creatine in terms of recovery have been demonstrated multiple times. Creatine monohydrate may have cognitive benefits, which can be advantageous during endurance events.
One study found that creatine supplementation reduced mental fatigue during sustained mental effort. Maintaining concentration and decision-making abilities during long races, such as triathlons, is crucial for optimal performance.
Further, recent research has shown that creatine supplementation can improve cognition and memory, especially in older adults or during metabolic stress i. Interestingly, higher doses of creatine may be required.
This should be considered and discussed with your health professional if brain function is a priority. Concerns have been raised about creatine causing dehydration and cramping. Total injuries, muscle tightness, and muscle strains were also found to be less in the athletes supplementing with creatine monohydrate.
This has been in conjunction with findings supporting improved total body, extracellular, and intracellular water volumes in those athletes supplementing with creatine monohydrate.
The key takeaway is that creatine monohydrate does not enhance the likelihood of cramping or dehydration, and it appears to reduce the risk of heat injury. An interesting systematic review concluded a negative correlation between creatine monohydrate supplementation and VO2 max.
The authors acknowledge a risk of bias with the study designs due to a need for more clarity over randomization with nearly all studies included. Only three of the nineteen studies thoroughly detailed the assessment of VO2 max.
So as weight goes up, VO2 max goes down. While creatine appears to impair VO2 max, it may result from slight weight change. Nonetheless, the study findings warrant further investigation to determine if there are specific reasons why any adverse effects on VO2 max might occur.
Ensuring that the supplementation protocol and training and testing processes are repeatable, reliable and valid is essential for future research.
One concern often associated with creatine monohydrate supplementation is fluid retention, which may result in temporary weight gain.
This is often undesirable for athletes aiming to maintain a lean physique. This was one of the primary negative consequences highlighted in an article published in Sports Medicine.
This varies from athlete to athlete, though. If weight gain through fluid retention is an issue, stop taking creatine weeks before racing to offset fluid retention while retaining increased creatine stores.
Some people experience gastrointestinal discomfort when taking creatine, such as bloating, cramping, or diarrhea. This is more common when taking higher doses, or not letting it fully dissolve in water before ingestion. You can find a wide selection online. It has been researched for more than years, and numerous studies support its safety for long-term use.
Clinical trials lasting up to 5 years report no adverse effects in healthy individuals 1. At the end of the day, creatine is an effective supplement with powerful benefits for both athletic performance and health. It may boost brain function , fight certain neurological diseases, improve exercise performance, and accelerate muscle growth.
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Nutrition Evidence Based 10 Health and Performance Benefits of Creatine. Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, Ph. Energy Muscle support Improves performance Muscle growth Fighting Parkinson's disease Fighting neurological diseases Blood sugar levels Brain function Reduces fatigue Safe and easy Takeaway Creatine is a natural supplement often used to improve athletic performance.
Helps muscle cells produce more energy. Supports many other functions in muscles. Improves high-intensity exercise performance. Speeds muscle growth. May fight other neurological diseases. May lower blood sugar levels and fight diabetes. Can improve brain function. May reduce fatigue and tiredness.
Safe and easy to use. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Feb 5, Written By Rudy Mawer. Medically Reviewed By Jared Meacham, Ph. Dec 11, Written By Rudy Mawer. Medically Reviewed By Atli Arnarson BSc, PhD.
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Pdrformance is a Suppress food cravings supplement Hypoglycemic unawareness management techniques to improve exercise performance Cteatine. Hypoglycemic unawareness management techniques has been studied performaance years and is one of the most scientifically supported supplements on athletjc market 2. Performancs addition to bolstering your exercise routine, creatine may offer other health benefits 3. To understand how it works, you need to understand something about how your cells produce energy. The most basic form of energy in cells is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate ATP. This brings us back to creatine. Creatine phosphate can help you replenish ATP, giving your muscle cells the capacity to produce more energy..JPG "Creatine and athletic performance")
Es ist die gute Idee.