What is Creatine? Creatine is a simple amino acid molecule we all have in our body. "Creatine is made up of the three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. Our body produces creatine (it is made in the liver) and we also can get creatine from our diet. At any given time the average person has about 120 grams of creatine stored in their body."(creatine-only.com) "Our body makes one gram each day from protein. We also eat about one gram of creatine each day from meats such as beef, chicken, or fish."(Nucare) So by taking a creatine supplement you can put more creatine in your body that you can use as energy.

So what does creatine do for you? This is only in theory because we know little about what actually goes on inside the body.

1) Creatine provides additional energy for your muscles: In your body you have a compound called ATP. Think of ATP as an energy containing compound. The body can very quickly get ene

What are the side effects of creatine? There have been hundreds of studies done on creatine that all show that it is a safe supplement. There are really very few side effects reported with creatine use but they include: upset stomach, muscle cramping, diarrhea and dehydration. Most of these side effects can be minimized by drinking plenty of water when taking creatine. In addition, people tend to have more side effects when taking the powder as opposed to a more direct delivery method like serum or effervescent powder. It is also important to understand that creatine does not effect your hormone levels. This means you do not get side effects like bad skin and mood swings. Many scientist agree that when taken within normal dosage, creatine in theory should pose no long term health risks.(Absolute Creatine)

Creatine is not banned in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or the Olympics. It would be very hard to ban creatine use because it is found in many foods, therefore making it very hard to test for without false positives. It is legal to take for high school athletes and college athletics as well. "A recent survey showed that 48% of male division 1 athletes use or have used creatine." (Clin. J.) Another study done with a group of cyclist showed a 23% improvement in stamina for the cyclists who were given creatine as opposed to the group given a placebo. The athletes taking creatine also showed a dramatic speed improvement over those of the placebo group. (Nucare) This is one of the many studies that have been done on creatine that have shown positive outcomes for the athlete.

4) Enhance Protein Synthesis: Creatine helps put the body in a more anabolic state where protein synthesis can occur. The more protein synthesis - the greater the muscle gain.

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