  |
 |
      |
|
|
|
|
CREATINE 1 Here they come down the final stretch of the track. The winner of the 50th anniversary Little 500 will be decided by a final sprint between five teams. Team number 8 is pulling away from the rest of the field towards the finish line. Yes team number 8 wins!!! The nutritional supplement Creatine Monohydrate has sparked tremendous debate in the fitness community. Does it work? Is it safe? What is the best way to take it? I will answer all of these questions below. My introduction serves a purpose. The Little 500 enjoys participation from a wide variety of people on this campus. The number 8 rider used creatine to elevate his or her championship performance. Creatine enabled the rider to separate from the rest of the field in a dead sprint when the race was on the line. A study involving trained cyclists in 1998 revealed that a creatine loading protocol of twenty-five grams per day for five days improved cycling sprint performance by 8-9%. (2.Vandebuerie) This is just one of many studies touting the benefits of Creatine. Creatine exists naturally in food and is stored in muscles to aid in muscle contractions. Foods containing significant amounts of creatine include most meats and fish, but it would be very difficult to derive the amount of creatine one needs to accelerate performance from food alone. One would have to eat several pounds of raw meat each day to get the necessary maintenance dose. Creatine loading without a supplement would be impossible. Supplementation of creatine seeks to fill muscle stores with more creatine to enable greater muscular contraction. ATP fuels short-term maximum efforts lasting 6-8 seconds, unfortunately ATP supply is limited. Quite simply the supplementation of creatine improves the productivity of the ATP cycle, thus improving performance during short bout maximal efforts. Furthermore creatine accelerates the pace at which ATP stores are refilled after exercise-induced depletion. Several studies evaluating the safety of creatine have been undertaken. A study examining creatine supplementation affect on kidney function revealed that chronic high doses of creatine had minimal affect on markers of renal function. (Poortmans 1). Currently no studies present any evidence that creatine use is detrimental in healthy people. In actuality preliminary studies reveal that creatine improves blood lipid profiles and ameliorates cardiac function in heart disease patients. Anecdotal reports claim that creatine causes muscle cramping however No studies to date have supported such claims. I believe that adequate water intake will alleviate any potential cramping problems. References 1. Poortmans J, Auquier H, Renaut V, Durassel A, Saugy M, Brisson G. Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on renal responses in men. Eur J Appl Physiol 1997;76:566-7. 2. Vandebuerie f, Vanden Eynde B, Vandenberghe K, Hespel P. Effect of Creatine loading on endurance capacity and sprint power in cyclists. Int J Sports Med 1998; 19: 490-495 LEGAL DISCLAIMER |
 |
