FREE ESSAY ON ACTIONS AND EFFECTS OF CREATINE

ACTIONS AND EFFECTS OF CREATINE

Actions and Effects of Creatine
Throughout time, humans have had a fascination with being excellent at what they do, and
athletics have been no exception. Many substances exist, and many have been criticized
and analyzed for their safety, legality, and morality for athletes. With the banning of
steroids from competitive sports, and the implementation of random drug testing in most
sports, most athletes, professional, recreational, and would-be professionals are hoping
to gain an edge. More recently, one such edge has been discovered, and it has found
itself in locker rooms across the country, in the hands of these athletes, and all the
while, and probably more importantly, in the media's direct line of fire. Although legal,
creatine has it's proponents and it's opponents, through this paper, I'll discuss some of
the factors that make creatine such a hot topic in sports and the health industry.
To understand why people use creatine, we must first understand what it is. Creatine is a
naturally occurring nutrient that is found in the body (Sahelian, 2000). It is also found
in meat and fish, usually at a concentration of about 4 grams of creatine per kilogram
(Sahelian, 2000). As a general fact, we consume around 1 gram per day from out daily
diet. Vegetarians have a much lower intake of creatine than most meat eaters, and will
usually have a noted reaction to creatine supplementation due to this fact (Sahelian,
2000). 
To apply creatine to the muscle building process, we must understand what it does. When
we use our muscle everyday for any activity, we use oxygen to make energy. This energy is
created by breaking down a chemical that exists in our body known as adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), into another chemical, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), but using oxygen
to make energy is a very slow process (Sahelian, 2000). This is the part of the process
where creatine makes itself known. Current studies show that creatine supplementation can
increase the amount of creatine in muscles, which in turn, speeds up the ATP refueling
process (Murphy, 2000). This enhances performance by producing more energy for brief,
high-intensity exercise such as sprinting, and allowing for more strenuous workouts
(Gutfeld, 1997). All of these factors are crucial to athletes who are searching for their
legal magic bullet.
Creatine was first discovered by a French scientist in 1832 (Bamberger, 1998). This
scientist discovered a naturally occurring organic compound that could be produced by the
kidneys, liver, and pancreas. The compound was named creatine, the Greek word for flesh
(Bamberger, 1998). It has been found that most people consume 1 gram per day, along with
naturally producing 1 gram (Bamberger, 1998). In 1981, the potential medical benefits of
creatine were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in, seven years later, two
Swedish doctors, Paul Greenhaff, and Eric Hultman, recorded performance-enhancing effects
of creatine in athletic subjects, and their results were published in the journal
Clinical Science in 1992 (Bamberger, 1998). Most of the current creatine buzz surfaced
and intensified after the 1992 Olympics when several athletes such as runner/sprinter
Michael Johnson, reported using creatine to prepare themselves for the games. In more
current trends, exact numbers regarding athletes who use creatine do not exist, but when
Brady Anderson, a professional baseball player and creatine user/endorser began
supplementation, he was one of very few who knew about the product, but numbers suggest
now that approximately 50% of all NFL players use creatine (Bamberger, 1998). 
Creatine is most commonly used by athletes of all kinds, namely recreational, high
school, college, and the more scrutinized professional athletes. These athletes use
creatine because of what creatine supplementation does. The reliable and valid research
studies support the benefits of creatine supplementation. Mainly, that it can have a
positive impact on the following aspects, 1) Expediting recovery between workouts, 2)
increase the amount of exercise that can be performed during workouts, 3) increase muscle
size and strength, 4) improve anaerobic power and endurance, and 5) increase body weight
(Arapoff and Riley, 1998). These are all very attractive and positive factors that an
athlete would love to be able to attain legally, not compromising their safety with
illegal substances such as steroids, but through essentially, natural and relatively safe
means. Luring to some users are reports that results are quick and consistent, along with
increased muscle mass, and a prolonged pump during strength training (Sahelian, 2000).
Although touted and highly regarded among some professional strength trainers, there are
some that are skeptical. For instance, the San Francisco 49er's, have an estimated three
quarters of the team using creatine, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers strength coach will
not allow creatine in the Bucs' locker room (Bamberger, 1998). The creatine economy is
booming, Experimental and Applied Sciences, have a stranglehold on the creatine market,
since they were instrumental in it's introduction to the sports supplement arena, they
have such athletes as Shannon Sharpe as a paid user/endorser in EAS apparel at public
appearances, and this is a great way for them to increase exposure and their
marketability, along with having a phenomenal skyrocket in sales (Suggs, 1998). There is
a simple explanation for the explosion of creatine, it's effective, legal, in most cases
affordable, and it works. It helps muscles get bigger and stronger faster, which is the
basis of the strength-training regimen of some athletes. The IOC or International Olympic
Committee has not banned creatine, and actually considers it a food, since it cannot
realistically be placed in the same categories of substances such as anabolic steroids,
this provided the ruling that it should not be banned (Nutrition Forum, 1999).
The form that is most likely and most commonly consumed is that of creatine monohydrate
in a white powder form, it comes in a canister or tub, and can be purchased at stores
such as General Nutrition Centers (GNC). A canister of the EAS creatine has a price of
roughly $60 (Bamberger, 1998). Creatine is usually ingested in dosages of around 3 to 5
grams per day, and is recommended to be preceded by a loading phase that consists of
ingesting up to 20 grams a day of the powder daily for 5 days (Gutfeld, 1997). This
ensures that the muscles are efficiently saturated with creatine. After this loading
phase, a reduction to the 3-5 gram a day dose, is recommended. Any more than what is
recommended will be excreted through the urine. Also, recommendations include ingesting
the creatine with a liquid that is high in carbohydrates. It is believed that the high
glycemic index will shuttle creatine into the muscle very quickly, and have a higher
absorption rate (Gutfeld, 1997). Also, users and researches alike recommend checking the
supplement is of high purity. Most manufacturers will provide a laboratory analysis upon
request (Gutfeld, 1997). Some users question, what the best time of day to take creatine
is, but reports show that any time of day is acceptable, but most users chose to take it
in the time preceding their workout (Sahelian, 2000). There have been cases of
non-responders to creatine, but the reason is not known at this time (Sahelian, 2000). 
Some reported side effects of creatine include, loose stools, which can occur with
relatively small doses such as approximately 4 grams (Sahelian, 2000). Higher doses have
side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, weakness, and doses in the 20 gram
and above category have seen side effects such as kidney damage (Sahelian, 2000). The
reported feelings of dehydration can be diffused by consuming large quantities of water,
more than a gallon a day (Bamberger, 1998). The result that is noted as most siginificant
is that of weight gain. This can be definitely a negative or positive aspect, considering
which sport the athlete is training for. For any sport where bulking up is required
creatine would provide an advantage, but any athlete trying to lose or maintain weight
will be offset by creatines reported effects. The American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM), has issued a statement that although creatine is an effective aid in performance
enhancement, there have not been nearly as many field studies as there have been
laboratory studies conducted, also, the ACSM notes that the jury is still out on the
safety and effectiveness of long term creatine use (Rose, 1998). Since there have been no
studies conducted about the long term safety of creatine, it is not currently recommended
to supplement for long periods of time, rather cycle creatine use, by stopping or
significantly reducing usage for a month's time (Sahelian, 2000).
Although the long term consequences of creatine are not known at this time, it has, to
this point, proven to be safer than any illegal performance-enhancing aid, such as
anabolic steroids. Creatine supplemenation through a powder is also a viable way to
obtain the amount necessary to provide results. To obtain the recommended dosage through
our diet alone, one would have to consume anywhere from 5 to 25 pounds of meat daily
(Gutfeld, 1997). Someday, maybe creatine research will conclude that it really is
nature's very own steroid. 
Bibliography
References:
Arapoff, Jason., and Riley, Dan. (1998). The `Powerline' View On Creatine. 
Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director, 68(4), 12-13.
Bamberger, Michael. (1998). The Magic Potion. Sports Illustrated, 88(16), 58-61.
Gutfeld, Greg. (1997). Stir up some muscle. Men's Health, 12(4), 90-92.
Murphy, Dee. (2000). What you should know about creatine. Current Health 2, 26(6),
13-14.
Nutrition Forum. (1999). IOC Considers Creatine a Food. 16(2), 9-10.
Rose, Verna L. (1998). Creatine Supplementation. American Family Physician, 58(7), 1691.
Sahelian, Ray. (2000). Creatine - Just the FAQ's Ma'am. Better Nutrition, 62(5), 26-27.
Suggs, Welch. (1998). Creatine pays off despite health warnings. Denver Business Journal,
49(42), 17a.