Creatine is a compound that is naturally produced in the body and found in small amounts in certain foods such as red meat and seafood¹. It is primarily stored in skeletal muscle, where it plays a crucial role in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy carrier in cells¹.

Benefits and Uses of Creatine:

1. Improving Exercise Performance:

   • Creatine supplementation is widely known for enhancing performance during high-intensity, short-duration exercises, such as weightlifting and sprinting².
   • It increases the availability of ATP in muscles, which boosts strength, power, and endurance³.

2. Increasing Muscle Mass:

   • Consistent use of creatine has been shown to increase lean muscle mass when combined with resistance training⁴.
   • This effect is more pronounced in individuals with lower initial creatine levels¹.

3. Post-Exercise Recovery:

   • Creatine may aid in faster recovery between intense exercise sessions by reducing muscle damage and inflammation³.

4. Age-Related Muscle Loss:

   • Supplementation can help improve muscle strength and combat sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) when coupled with exercise in older adults⁵.

5. Cognitive Benefits:

   • Emerging research suggests that creatine may have potential benefits for brain function, including improving cognitive processing and possibly aiding in conditions such as traumatic brain injury⁶.

Safety and Regulation:

• Creatine is generally recognized as safe for both short-term and long-term use in healthy individuals³.
• It is permitted by major sports authorities, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)¹.

Despite its wide range of applications, creatine might not provide significant benefits for endurance sports or activities involving extended periods of exercise³. Additionally, individual responses to creatine can vary, and not everyone may experience the same level of improvement³.

Footnotes

1. MedlinePlus Supplements ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. PubMed Central - Nutrition ↩

3. Examine.com ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. PubMed - Creatine Supplementation ↩

5. Mayo Clinic ↩

6. PubMed Central - Cognitive Benefits ↩