Actions And Effects Of Creatine Essay, Research Paper
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.
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