Since its first production in the 1990s, creatine (supplement) has become one of the most popular fitness supplements in a short period of time. In fact, in the mid-1960s, a small number of elite athletes began to use creatine (supplement). Today, whether it is professional athletes or most fitness enthusiasts, creatine (supplement) has become one of their must-have products. Unfortunately, the widespread use of creatine (supplement) and the general public's lack of knowledge about creatine (supplement) has given rise to countless rumors and misunderstandings about creatine (supplement). So, let me lead you today to crush these ignorance and rumors!

History of Creatine

Before talking about this history, I need to let everyone remember the most important point: Creatine can be naturally synthesized in the liver, pancreas and kidneys of the human body. The human body itself contains creatine! Skeletal muscle contains 95% creatine, with the remainder found in the heart, brain, and testicles. On top of that, creatine is found in the meat and fish we eat!

Creatine was first discovered in 1838 by French chemist Chevreul. In 1847, another scientist discovered that the accumulation of creatine in the human body can directly affect the work of muscles and provide short-term energy to muscles. Creatine supplements were first developed around 1900 by extracting creatine from meat. It was not until around 1960 that creatine supplements began to be mass-produced. Subsequently, athletes from the former Eastern Bloc countries began using creatine, including powerlifters and track and field athletes. Reports also pointed out that during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, some British athletes used creatine supplements. Matt

because of creatine

The Lanzhou Olympic Games are nicknamed the "Creatine Games." Because many gold medalists use creatine supplements.

Today, scientists have conducted countless scientific experiments on creatine. Among the nutritional sports supplements used by contemporary athletes, creatine is one of the most extensively studied supplements. Creatine is also one of the few fitness supplements considered safe for humans by its manufacturers.

How creatine works

What is creatine and the role of creatine - the ultimate decryption of creatine

To fully understand creatine, we must first talk about ATP. ATP is the energy source for muscles to do work. Whether you wake up in the morning or exercise in the gym in the afternoon, all muscle movements throughout the day are powered by ATP. But our muscles store only a limited amount of ATP. Therefore, the human body needs to continuously synthesize ATP.

The human body mainly produces ATP through three mechanisms. Here we mainly discuss the first energy supply mechanism:

Creatine kinase (anaerobic energy supply)

Glycolysis (anaerobic function)

Oxidative phosphorylation (aerobic energy supply)

The original and most effective way to provide energy is creatine kinase. This mechanism can quickly convert the ATP stored in the human body into energy to provide energy for high-intensity, short-term activities (sprinting, jumping, power lifting, etc.). When ATP is used, it loses its phosphate molecule and becomes ADP. ADP has no energy-providing function unless it is converted into ATP. At this moment, creatine starts to work! Creatine is stored in muscles as creatine phosphate. It can "contribute" phosphate components to ADP, convert ADP into ATP, and continue to supply energy to the human body.

What I need to remind everyone is that creatine kinase (anaerobic energy supply) is the most effective and powerful energy supply mechanism. It’s also the most important when it comes to weight training! By using creatine supplements, this energy supply mechanism will be enhanced. Because creatine supplements provide people with more creatine phosphate molecules. It helps the body convert ADP into ATP. By using creatine supplements, the energy supply time of the creatine kinase energy supply mechanism will also be prolonged, which can delay the production of glycolytic energy supply and aerobic energy supply. The energy supply speed and efficiency of these two energy supply mechanisms are lower. Everyone should also note that a large number of experiments have shown that creatine supplements do not significantly enhance aerobic exercise.

WhyUse creatine supplements

Creatine can be synthesized naturally in the liver, pancreas and kidneys of the human body. Its early forms are: glycine, arginine and methionine. Creatine is also found in fish and meat. But once food is cooked, the creatine content in the food is quickly lost. There are approximately 2 grams of creatine in a pound of raw red meat.

Most people do not have enough creatine in their bodies. Only 60-80% of potential creatine content. Taking creatine supplements can increase the amount of creatine stored in the body by an average of 30%. This extra creatine allows you to produce more ATP, allowing your body's energy flow to last longer. More energy means higher-intensity and longer-lasting training, which means more muscle stimulation and better growth.

Creatine use

To date, researchers have not unanimously determined the optimal dosage of creatine. There is a very popular saying: in the first week of using creatine, use creatine 3-4 times a day, 5 grams each time, which is called the storage phase of creatine; then enter the maintenance period, use 2 grams a day -5 grams of creatine is enough. However, there are also some studies that suggest that creatine storage is not necessary. This may be an attempt by supplement companies to get you to buy more creatine.

A gimmick used for acid. Because some experiments have shown that within three weeks, there was no significant difference in various indicators between subjects who used 2-5 grams of creatine per day, and subjects who used creatine for storage and then maintained creatine.

Creatine and dextrose are used together to increase creatine absorption. So having some high-sugar fruit juice is a good choice when taking creatine. As for the specific method of taking it, just read the product description and I won’t repeat it here.

Side effects

Creatine is perhaps the most thoroughly researched supplement in history. There is no direct evidence that it causes side effects such as muscle strain, diarrhea, kidney damage and dehydration. Most users who experience cramps and diarrhea take more than 10 grams of creatine at one time. Studies have found that when used correctly, creatine users are less likely than non-users to suffer from muscle cramps, muscle strains, heatstroke or dehydration. Therefore, regular use of creatine will not cause harm to the body, but will also protect the body.

In the 1990s, some media reported instances of wrestlers dying after taking creatine. In fact, they died because of high-risk medications like diuretics, not creatine.

Creatine is equally effective in teenagers and women. Research shows that creatine, when used correctly, can increase strength and improve athletic performance in healthy adolescents and women.

Why creatine users should drink more water

Creatine helps your cells retain water.The more water you have, the more active your cells will be, so this is good for training. However, this will also increase your weight. Therefore, combat athletes and other heavyweight athletes should stop using creatine 6 weeks before the weigh-in!