Creatine is a biochemical naturally found in all muscle tissue, and its a vital part of the energy cycle for anaerobic muscle contraction. The human body makes its own creatine, and you also consume it from sources such as red meat.

Supplementing with creatine monohydrate has been proven to:

Allow muscles to store more energy
Increase strength and power
Improve recovery time between sets
Boosts protein synthesis and lean muscle mass

Creatine will have the most benefit for athletes seeking power and strength gains, for example weight trainers, powerlifters, sprinters and those with an explosive element to their sport - there is only limited research on its benefits for endurance sports.

The best times to take creatine are before and after a workout. It can be useful to divide your daily dose into smaller servings and spread them throughout the day.

Mix your creatine with a liquid that contains simple carbohydrates, preferably glucose (Replace Hydration is ideal). Consume immediately once mixed.

You can also add creatine to your post-workout protein shake, as long as you're getting a source of carbs to maximise the uptake and delivery of creatine to muscle tissues
Try the Creatine Blast shake: 5g creatine blended with one serve of Horleys ICE Whey, mixed in 300ml Horleys Replace - fast absorption, maximum uptake of carbs, amino acids and creatine

Loading period: 5-7 days
Maintenance period: 3 weeks
Rest period: 7 days

Available in size: 250g

Always read the label and do not exceed the recommended dosage. Use creatine in conjunction with a balanced diet and ensure you maintain good hydration levels.

100% pharmaceutical grade Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine (Cr) is an amino acid derivative naturally found in human skeletal muscle, heart, brain, testes, retina and other organs. Over 90-95% of creatine in the body is in skeletal muscles, of which one third exists as free creatine, and two thirds as phosphocreatine (PCr).

Creatine has a vital role in the provision and transfer of energy required for muscle contraction. Creatine acts as a performance enhancer offering athletes more power and strength for high intensity workouts. Depletion of creatine within the muscle can lead to reduced muscle power and build-up of lactic acid, resulting in rapid onset of fatigue.

Creatine is found in considerable quantities in meat, fish and other animal products1, with only trace amount found in some plants. Oral creatine supplementation not only increases the total creatine content of human skeletal muscle, but also seems to affect muscle hypertrophy (an increase in size of tissue). As a dietary supplement, creatine is available in the stable form, creatine monohydrate: a white, free flowing fine/crystalline powder, which has slightly characteristic odour and taste.

How Creatine is Metabolised?
Creatine is primarily synthesized from arginine and glycine in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys at a rate of 1-2 g/day. An additional 1-2 g daily is obtained exogenously via dietary consumption of fish and meat. Creatine is eliminated by its irreversible conversion to creatinine at a rate of approximately 1-2 g daily2.
The average creatine concentration of human muscle is 125mmol/kg3. Women may have higher concentrations than men4 and vegetarians tend to have lower concentrations than non-vegetarians5.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an energy-rich phosphate compound, which liberates energy when it is hydrolysed to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and orthophosphate (Pi). ATP-ADP cycle is the fundamental mode of energy exchange in biological systems. ATP serves the principal immediate donor of free energy in biological systems rather than as a storage form of energy6. The free energy liberated in the hydrolysis of an anhydride bond of ATP is used to drive reactions that require an input of free energy, such as muscle contraction.

Like ATP, creatine phosphate (PCr) has a high phosphate group transfer potential6. Creatine and phosphocreatine both play important roles in ATP production during maximal anaerobic burst-type exercise7. Creatine and phosphocreatine exist in reversible equilibrium. During intense muscle contration, ATP is rapidly depleted7:

Adenosine Triphosphatase (ATPase)
ATP -------------------->ADP + Pi

Immediate generation of ATP is needed, if muscle contraction is to continue. This production of ATP is dependent on re-phosphorylation of ADP, which is accomplished under anaerobic conditions7:

Creatine Kinase (CK)
Phosphocreatine + ADP + H+ --------------------> ATP + Creatine

Phosphocreatine is a limiting factor in maintaining ATP resynthesis during maximal exercise8. PCr contributes significantly to ATP resynthesis for about 10 to 20 seconds of maximal exercise9. This is followed by a proportionate increase in other pathways of ATP resynthesis, such as anaerobic glycolysis or aerobic oxidation of carbohydrates and fat. The resynthesis of PCr requires ATP, which is generated aerobically by oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Once generated, ATP is transported from mitochondria to the cytostol of the skeletal muscle myofibrils, where it transfers the Pi to creatine to form PCr. This reaction is catalysed by the mitochondrial creatine kinase (MiCK). PCr created in this process is then utilised to produce ATP from ADP in cytostol of skeletal muscle myofibrils9.

It takes 30-60seconds to resynthesise half the PCr store after maximal bout of exercise. Most of the depleted PCr is restored within 5 minutes of recovery10

Why is Creatine Supplementation Important in Sports Nutrition?
During rapid muscle contraction PCr stores get depleted resulting in the reduction of capacity of ATP resynthesis, and thereby energy production8. It is assumed that an increase in total muscle Cr concentration would limit the depletion of the PCr stores during intense muscular exercise and the decline in the ATP resynthesis rate by increasing the ADP phosphorylation rate. The potential benefits of this mechanism on exercise performance have been evoked to justify the administration of oral Cr to competitive athletes11.

Creatine is slowly but continuously converted to creatinine, which itself is no use to the muscle for energy production and eventually excreted in the urine. As a result creatine must be continuously resupplied from indigenously or through the diet, if a metabolic demands of the muscles are to be maintained.

Currently, creatine does not appear on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned substances list because it is naturally occuring constituent of a normal diet

Is Creatine Ergogenic?
The term "ergogenic " is derived from the Greek phrase and in relation to sports performance it implies "any means to enhance energy utilisation, including energy production, control and efficiency"12. Creatine phosphate has phosphate group transfer potential over 100% greater than glucose and over 40% greater than ATP itself and that is why it is so popular with athletes8.

Oral creatine supplementation can increase muscular PCr concentration up to 20%. It acts as an ergogenic aid due to the following reasons2:

Higher PCr concentration in skeletal muscle for enhanced anaerobic ATP production during maximal exercise13;
Enhanced resynthesis of PCr during recovery periods between short bouts of maximal exercise, and
Increase myofibrillar protein synthesis resulting in muscle accretion14

Oral creatine supplementation is potentially ergogenic only for activities that have a high anaerobic component and for the endurance events that involve intermittent burst of anaerobic activity. In controlled laboratory studies, oral creatine supplementation has been shown to be ergogenic in repeated stationary cycling sprits15, weightlifting15, 16, repetitive sets of muscle contraction such as knee extensions17, and kayak ergometry18.

Is Creatine anabolic?
It has been reported that short-term oral creatine supplementation is accompanied by increase in body mass19. This weight gain is due to water retention3 and/or an increased rate of contractile protein synthesis1. Creatine has been suggested to stimulate the biosynthesis of myofibril protein and uptake of amino acids into contractile proteins. Creatine supplementation has been shown to induce increase in the diameter of type II muscle fibre14 and fat free mass15.

What are the Benefits of Creatine Supplementation in Athletes?
Creatine acts as an ergogenic and anabolic aid for sports performance in athletes. Its supplementation can be benefited as follows:

Increased muscle creatine and phosphocreatine concentration for strength, power and an improved sports performance
Increased rate of ATP resynthesis leads to facilitated recovery during repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise required in weight lifting, sprinting and endurance events that involve intermittent burst of anaerobic activity
Reduced lactic acid concentration in the muscle leads to a delay in the onset of muscular fatigue20
Increased protein synthesis and muscle accretion
Increased weight gain and lean body mass

Creatine supplementation may be of benefit to athletes such as weight lifters, sprinters, body builders, wrestlers, boxers, kayakers, rugby players etc. Unfortunately, there is no published data available which supports the use of creatine supplementation in endurance athletes and marathon runners but it can be useful in endurance events that involve intermittent burst of anaerobic activity.

Creatine Supplementation - Is it Safe?
Its supplementation is safe21 and does not pose any major side effects. In some people, high doses of creatine can cause minor side effects such as, gastrointestinal disturbances and /or muscle cramping22 . Short-term creatine supplementation does not appear to impair the function in healthy kidneys23. There is no data available on its long-term side effects. Creatine supplementation should be avoided or limited in patients, with pre-existing renal disease and by those with a potential for renal dysfunction (eg. diabetics). People with any medical condition should consult their doctor before using creatine.

To achieve maximum effect, creatine should be taken in two phases followed by a resting phase. Creatine supplementation involves a loading dose of 20-25g daily for 5-6 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 2.5-7.5g daily for 3 weeks and thereafter a resting phase of 1 week. The loading regimen can increase total creatine stores by 17-22%. Without a loading phase, a dose of 3 grams daily will achieve a similar increase after 28 days.

Creatine storage capacity of human skeletal muscle is 150-160mmol/kg1. Any excess creatine supplementation will not increase muscle creatine, but will be excreted in urine in the form both creatine and creatinine.

REFERENCES:

Balsam, P.D. et.al. 1994, Creatine in humans with special reference to creatine supplementation, Sports Med. 18(4) : 268-280
Juhn, M.S. 1999, Oral creatine supplementation, The physician and sportsmedicine, 27(5): 47-61,89.
Hultman, E. et.al. 1996, Muscle creatine loading in men, J. Appl. Physiol., 81 : 232-237
Forsberg, A.M. et.al. 1991, Muscle composition in relation to age and sex, Clin. Sci., 81: 249-256.
Delanghe, H. et.al. 1989, Normal reference values for creatine, creatinine and carnitine are lower in vegetarians, Clin. Chem., 35: 1802-1803.
Stryer, L. 1981, Biochemistry: Part II - Generation and storage of metabolic energy, Published by. W.H. Freeman and company, NY, Pg 240-242
Juhn, M.S. and tarnopolsky, M., 1998, Oral creatine supplementation and athletic performance: A critical Review, Clin. J. Sport Med., 8(4): 286-297.
Casey, E. et.al. 1996, Metabolic response of type I and II muscle fibres during repeated bouts of maximal exercise in humans, Am. J. Physiology, 271: E38-E43.
Hultman, E. et.al. 1991, Energy metabolism and fatigue during intense muscle contraction, Biochem. Soc. Trans, 19: 347-353.
Sonderlund, K. and Hultman, E. 1991, ATP and phosphocreatine changes in single human muscle fibres after intense electrical stimulation, Am. J. Physiol. 261: E737-E741
Mujika, I. and Padilla, S. 1997, Creatine supplementation as an ergogenic aid for sports performance in highly trained athletes: A critical review, Int. J. Sports Med. 18: 491-496
Williams, M.H. 1992, Nutritional erogolitic substances, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 24: S344-S348.
Casey, A. et.al. 1996, Creatine ingestion favourably affects performance and muscle metabolism during maximal exercise in humans, Am. J. Physiology, 271: E31-E37
Sipila, I. et.al. 1981, Supplementary creatine as a treatment for gyrate atrophy of the choroid retina, New. Engl. J. Med. , 304: 867-870.
Kreider, R.B. et.al. 1998, Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 30(1): 73-82.
Vandenberghe, K. et.al. 1997, Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training, J. Appl. Physiol., 83(6): 2055-2063.
Maganaris, C.S. and Maughan, R.J. 1998, Creatine supplementation enhances maximum voluntary isometric force and endurance capacity in resistance trained men, Acta. Physiol. Scand. 163(3):279-287.
McNaughton, L.R. et.al. 1998, The effects of creatine supplementation on high-intensity exercise performance in elite performers, Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 78(3): 236-240.
Greenhalf, P.L. et.al. 1994, Effect of oral creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle phosphocreatine resynthesis, Am. J. Physiol., 266(5 pt 1): E725-E730.
Balsom, P.D. et.al. 1995, Skeletal muscle metabolism during short duration high-intensity exercise: Influence of creatine supplementation, Acta. Physiol. Scand. 154: 303-310.
Ballote, C.P. 198, Creatine supplementation in athletes: Benefits and potential risks, J. La State Med. Soc., 150(7): 325-327.
Juhn, M.S. et.al. 199, Oral creatine supplementation in male collegiate athletes: a survey of dosing habits and side effects, J. Am. Diet. Assoc. , 99(5): 593-595.
Poortmans, J.R. et.al. 1997, Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on renal responses in men, Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 76(6): 566-567.
Green, A.L. et.al. 1996, Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans, Am. J. Physiol., 271(5 pt 1): E821-E826.

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