Creatine: Health or Hazard
Creatine is the biggest thing to hit the supplement market and the field of nutritional science in years, though it is not a new supplement by any means. It has actually been around for decades, with scientific reports on creatine and muscle dating as far back as the 1920's. Creatine was originally used by athletes in Europe (it was first notably used by elite British track athletes who competed in the '92 Olympic Games) before it hit the United States in the early 1990's ("Creatine", 1999). Creatine is an amino acid derivative that is formed in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. Once synthesized, creatine is transported to the muscles, heart and brain, where it is used as an energy supplier. Creatine works remarkably similar to glycogen loading, which is commonly used by runners to boost performance. Both methods pack energy stores into skeletal muscle. Runners use glycogen to power aerobic energy production. Strength athletes, on the other hand, require a different type of energy, called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Creatine enters the muscles and is converted to creatine phosphate where it can regenerate ATP. Since
Dozens of published studies confirm that creatine boosts lean mass, muscular strength and power for most strength athletes. For unknown reasons, however, 20 to 30 percent of athletes do not benefit from creatine use. Creatine also has certain side effects, particularly if you take too much at once. Still, most people get favorable results if the proper dosage is used. The suggested dosage is 4 to 12 gm daily, depending on your exercise intensity and body weight (Tuttle, 1998). Another study found positive neuroprotective effects of creatine on the degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral aclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Although the research was done on mice rather than humans, creatine provided about twice the benefits of the standard prescription medication, Riluzole, used to treat ALS. However, until research was provided proving the efficiency of creatine for the treatment of ALS, no specific recommendations should be made (Arciero, 1998). Creatine is said to increase bioavailability of phosphocreatine. This, along with regulating muscle pH from becoming too acidic and sparing the use of glycogen for immediate energy demands, is what researchers feel creates creatine's fatigue-delaying properties, thus providing an indirect anabolic effect. Some also speculate that creatine may act as a signal along with heavy weight training to increase protein synthesis, and that the increase in intracellular water signals muscles to grow bigger by telling them to make more protein ("Creatine", 1999). Experts have tested and shown that stacking creatine with glucose will also enhance performance. Twenty-five Division 1 football players were matched-paired, divided into two groups and assigned to supplement their diets for 28 days during off-season weight and agility training with either 28 gm of creatine per day in a glucose-powder drink mixture [Phosphagen HP] or a placebo. After the 28-day period, the creatine group had a significant increase in body weight and muscle mass, greater gains in bench-press lifting volume and greater gains in sprint performance than the placebo group (Burke, 1998a).
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Approximate Word count = 2071
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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