As you know, the nutrition supplement world is vast, confusing, and can be either dangerous or highly beneficial. Dangers come with overuse or lack of information resulting in improper use. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before adding any supplement to your diet. A popular supplement, creatine monohydrate, has been around for a long time and is still used regularly today. If you have heard of or read about creatine, you probably know that it is popular with athletes looking to improve strength, muscle mass, and recovery from workouts. All of this is good, but those athletes still have to put in the work to see the benefits of supplementation. Recent information now suggests that it may not only be athletes striving for performance enhancement who can benefit from creatine supplementation. Let’s dig a little into this supplement, its traditional use along with some basic physiology, and what’s new.
Creatine is found in our bodies already. Its main function is in the creation of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is our instant energy, for lack of a better description. ATP production is very important to athletes for this very reason. Weightlifting, sprinting, and other short, powerful bursts of energy are what ATP benefits, and creatine is part of creating ATP. The reason why supplementation helps is, although our body produces creatine, it’s not always readily available resulting in fatigue and reduced performance. Another little tidbit of information is that most of us also consume creatine already in our diets (red meat, chicken and other high protein animal products). So, if you already produce some creatine and you already get some in your diet, why supplement? That’s where science enters. Once creatine’s role was defined, studies upon studies (upon studies) were performed to recommend an appropriate amount necessary for performance enhancement. Simply put, supplementing beyond natural production and consumption is beneficial. All the dosage recommendations are the same and easily found via your preferred internet search method.
Side effects of creatine supplementation are possible. The most common is gastrointestinal discomfort. Yes, a bellyache and all that comes with that is possible. Dehydration is also common as creatine demands water to be directed to our muscles. It is important to drink lots of water, like we should anyway. There is also a risk of kidney stress. This, however, is when overuse becomes an issue. It is important to stick to the recommended dosage and adjust down if side effects occur.
Non-traditional benefits of creatine supplementation are being studied now. One of the areas in our bodies that creatine is found in higher amounts is the brain. In the last several years, a correlation between creatine supplementation and improved cognitive function has been studied. At this point, there may be a benefit, particularly for older adults. When you see a fellow shopper with creatine monohydrate in the shopping cart, it might just be someone’s grandparent or great-grandparent. No longer is it being used only by the traditional power/speed athlete. Besides, that grandparent can benefit from the traditional benefits as well.
As mentioned, it is important to get all the information you can before starting any supplement. Everyone has different body chemistries and/or conditions. Because of that a particular supplement may not be a good choice for you. Be informed and remember, no supplement will work well without you putting in the appropriate work too.
