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This white powder improves performance

Creatine is a natural amino acid commonly found in meat products and, also, produced in small amounts inside the human body. Nearly all (95%) of body creatine is stored in muscle cells where it is used to fuel short duration, high-intensity activities like sprinting, jumping, and weight training [1-3, 7, 11-15, 40, 41]. There have been numerous studies reporting beneficial effects of creatine supplementation, particularly when resistance training is included during supplementation.

Benefits include: Increased, muscle strength, size (hypertrophy), and endurance [4,6,7, 10, 12-15, 23-26, 40, 41], enhanced exercise recovery [8, 9, 27, 28, 41] and various indicators of athletic performance like jumping, sprinting, and repeated bouts of intense activity [5-7, 11, 12-22, 26, 41]. In 2003, it was reported that nearly 85% of all studies performed on creatine supplementation reported performance benefits, and no study disclosed a negative effect [15].

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There have been multiple reports showing athletic performance enhancements in short-duration activities (< 3 minutes) and in activities requiring repeated high-intensity bouts of activity, whereas mixed results have been observed in longer-duration, endurance activities [5, 14, 29-34]. The authors analyzed 53 high-quality papers regarding the effects of creatine supplementation on upper body performance [13] and 60 high-quality papers on lower body performance [12]. The authors determined that creatine supplementation is effective at enhancing both upper limb and lower limb strength-related performance, regardless of population characteristics, training protocols, and the dose or duration of creatine usage [12, 13, 40]. However, it must be noted that responses to creatine supplementation vary; some individuals may respond well whereas others may not gain any performance benefit [35-39]. Although creatine is generally regarded as safe, do not begin creatine supplementation without first consulting with a qualified healthcare professional.


ShakeBot Bottom Line

    • Creatine is a natural amino acid, primarily stored in muscle, that is produced by the body and found in meat products that fuels short-duration activity.
    • Creatine supplementation increases lean body mass and athletic performance in activities that are short-duration and activities that include repeated high-intensity bouts.
    • Recent in-depth reviews suggest that supplementation with creatine can improve both lower body and upper body performance, regardless of population, type of training, or dose / duration of creatine supplementation.
    • Creatine supplementation probably does not enhance performance in long-duration, endurance activities (i.e. distance running, cycling, or swimming).
  • Individual responses can vary. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning creatine supplementation.

Want to know more about creatine safety and how to implement creatine supplementation in your life? Check out our in-depth review to get started!


 Reference

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  3. Wallimann, T. and Hemmer, W., 1994. Creatine kinase in non-muscle tissues and cells. Molecular and cellular biochemistry133(1), pp.193-220.

  4. Rawson, E.S. and Volek, J.S., 2003. Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research17(4), pp.822-831.

  5. Branch, J.D., 2003. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism13(2), pp.198-226.

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  9. Rahimi, R., 2011. Creatine supplementation decreases oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation induced by a single bout of resistance exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research25(12), pp.3448-3455.

  10. de Salles Painelli, V., Alves, V.T., Ugrinowitsch, C., Benatti, F.B., Artioli, G.G., Lancha, A.H., Gualano, B. and Roschel, H., 2014. Creatine supplementation prevents acute strength loss induced by concurrent exercise. European journal of applied physiology114(8), pp.1749-1755.

  11. Claudino, J.G., Mezêncio, B., Amaral, S., Zanetti, V., Benatti, F., Roschel, H., Gualano, B., Amadio, A.C. and Serrão, J.C., 2014. Creatine monohydrate supplementation on lower-limb muscle power in Brazilian elite soccer players. Journal of the international society of sports nutrition11(1), p.32.

  12. Lanhers, C., Pereira, B., Naughton, G., Trousselard, M., Lesage, F.X. and Dutheil, F., 2015. Creatine supplementation and lower limb strength performance: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Sports Medicine45(9), pp.1285-1294.

  13. Lanhers, C., Pereira, B., Naughton, G., Trousselard, M., Lesage, F.X. and Dutheil, F., 2017. Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine47(1), pp.163-173.

  14. Ramírez-Campillo, R., González-Jurado, J.A., Martínez, C., Nakamura, F.Y., Peñailillo, L., Meylan, C.M., Caniuqueo, A., Cañas-Jamet, R., Moran, J., Alonso-Martínez, A.M. and Izquierdo, M., 2016. Effects of plyometric training and creatine supplementation on maximal-intensity exercise and endurance in female soccer players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport19(8), pp.682-687.

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  22. Jones, A.M., Atter, T. and Georg, K.P., 1999. Oral creatine supplementation improves multiple sprint performance in elite ice-hockey players. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness39(3), p.189.

  23. Stone, M.H., Sanborn, K., Smith, L.L., O’Bryant, H.S., Hoke, T., Utter, A.C., Johnson, R.L., Boros, R., Hruby, J., Pierce, K.C. and Stone, M.E., 1999. Effects of in-season (5 weeks) creatine and pyruvate supplementation on anaerobic performance and body composition in American football players. International journal of sport nutrition9(2), pp.146-165.

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