All About Creatine
Want to know more about creatine? You’ve come to the right place!
To understand creatine supplementation, it helps to understand the energy systems!
We have 3 primary energy systems:
ATP-PC (anaerobic, lactic): this system handles exercise less than ~10 seconds
Glycolysis (anaerobic): this system handles exercise durations from ~10-90 seconds
Oxidative (aerobic): theoretically, this system could go on for an unlimited time
Creatine supplementation primary deals with the ATP-PC system.
The ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate phosphocreatine system) handles short term, high intensity bursts of exercise.
Think:
powerlifting/weightlifting
sprinting
any other explosive, short duration exercise
This system relies on the body’s phosphocreatine stores to create energy. Increasing creatine stores via supplementation allows for an increase in energy production. Creatine binds to phosphate, creatine phosphocreatine. The phosphocreatine links up with an ADP molecule and drops off the phosphate, creatine ATP. This is how creatine is used in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the body’s energy currency. Without ATP, we simply, do not.
Dosage and Timing
The general recommendations for creatine supplementation are:
3-5 grams per day
timing doesn’t matter as much as just taking it every day
you do not need to load creatine
make sure you buy from a third party tested brand, as supplements are NOT regulated by the FDA (third party testing is important)
Creatine is widely and extensively researched. When combined with resistance training compared to resistance training alone, research has shown creatine supplementation has positive effects on:
strength
lean tissue mass
performance
neuromuscular function
Before you start supplementing…
Make sure you have strong habits first. You don’t need to spend money on supplements if you’re not already:
eating enough protein (we also get creatine from meats)
training consistently
Creatine is also generally NOT recommended for:
people with kidney disorders
people who are pregnant
As always, make sure you consult your medical care provider before adding a supplement to your routine.
If you have any questions or you’d like to chat more, please feel free to send me an email!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next Friday.
-Jory
