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In past articles, I’ve dismissed creatine as useless for endurance athletes, and it’s true that studies have failed to find a positive effect on performance in extended efforts like
10K runs, triathlons, or a 40K cycling event (not to mention the consequences of weight
gain associated with creatine use). But what if you want to improve your performance in
the weight room or in games like soccer, basketball and football? Studies do show that
creatine can improve performance in short, repeated bursts, like sprints or low-repetition,
high-resistance weight training.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid synthesized in the kidneys, liver and pancreas then stored in
the skeletal muscle. It’s found naturally in foods like red meat, fish, and other animal
products. An eight-ounce steak contains about two grams of creatine, the same as the
recommended daily allowance. Your body also produces a limited amount and stores it
primarily in fast twitch (the kind used for sprinting and jumping) muscle. What you don’t
get from meat your body works to produce but at a rather slow pace.
Because the muscles store only enough creatine to fuel about ten seconds of work, creatine
powers short-duration, intense activities. It is a very important fuel source for
activities characterized by strength and power or speed, such as shot put, jumping, weight
lifting, and sprinting. After the first ten seconds of activity, the body increasingly
receives energy from other sources, primarily muscle glycogen followed by mobilized
glucose, fat, and some protein.
Who’s Using this Stuff?
It’s estimated that one half of all NHL players and one quarter of all NBA players
use creatine. Estimates for college athletes are about 13%, but anecdotal reports indicate
that it’s even more popular. For instance, sales of creatine in 1998 approached $100
million and ’99 figures are expected to top $200 million.
However, some pro teams have banned or restricted creatine use, citing uncertainties about
long-term use. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Padres recently banned or discouraged creatine
use by their athletes.
Will It Make You Bigger, Faster and Stronger?
Creatine’s effectiveness in short, explosive, power-type events has been extensively
studied and published in more than 200 articles.
- In one study creatine supplementation improved performance in four repetitions of
300-meter sprints. The final 300 meters was about four seconds faster after creatine use.
In another, supplementation resulted in an increased amount of work performed while doing
multiple sets of jump squats and bench presses. In yet another study, to test anaerobic
power and strength using repeated maximum bench presses, the number of repetitions and
the total lifting volume both increased following creatine ingestion relative to the
control group.
- Numerous studies indicate that long-term ingestion of creatine causes five to eight
pounds of weight gain in the muscles, and this added poundage consists primarily of water.
That’s a problem if you’re an endurance athlete because you have to carry the
extra poundage while running or cycling. However, if you’re a linebacker who makes a
living knocking people down, it can be a significant plus.
- Creatine supplementation only improves performance when combined with hard training.
As with most supplements, there aren’t any miracles.
Creatine is a fuel. It is to power/strength athletes as carbohydrate is to endurance
athletes. The more fuel the muscle has for powerful burst-like contractions, the better
its performance. When creatine supplementation is combined with strength- or power-training, the
results are greater strength, improved performance and increased size of the trained
muscles.
Will Creatine Make You Cramp Up?
Many athletic trainers and athletes report a higher incidence of muscle cramping during
creatine supplementation. The cramps are thought to be due to the increased water stored
in the muscles. Hamstring and groin pulls are often blamed on creatine use as well.
However, no studies have shown a relationship, at least when the athlete takes pains to
remain well hydrated, so the matter remains anecdotal.
How Much Creatine Are Athletes Taking?
Early studies involving creatine used a “loading dose,” usually about 20 grams a
day for a week. This high dose led to significant weight gain in the form of water stored
in the muscles. It was also expensive because about 65% of the creatine ended up being
filtered out by the kidneys and vanished down the toilet in the athlete’s urine. More
recent studies show that a very small dose—on the order of only three grams a day for
about 30 days—can saturate the muscles with enough creatine to enhance
performance.
Other research has demonstrated that carbohydrate intake improves the effectiveness of
creatine loading. The common recommendation is to consume 90g of carbo with each dose of
creatine. This is why, in some commercial products, creatine is mixed with a carbohydrate
sports drink.
The bottom line about creatine use for explosive sports?
- Creatine use has been exhaustively examined—over 200 published studies.
- Creatine works for explosive sports that involve short, intermittent bursts but not for endurance activities of relatively long duration.
- It doesn’t cause cramping when used with adequate fluids.
- Creatine only works in combination with hard training.
- It works equally well in men and women.
- Heavy creatine use is often associated with an average weight gain of five to eight
pounds, specific to the
muscles.
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