08/25/2024
Many people hear creatine and instantly think of steroids, but that is because they may not yet know what creatine is or understand its function. Creatine is a natural source of energy that aids in the contracting (flexing) of the body’s skeletal muscles (muscles that connect to your bones). Roughly half of the creatine in your body comes from your diet, particularly in foods with high protein levels such as red meat, animal milk and seafood. The other half is produced naturally in your body by your kidney, liver and pancreas.
When you take creatine as a supplement the majority of it ends up in your muscles boosting their ability to create more ATP which is used as fuel for your cells during high intensity training. Your body builds more lean muscle tissue when you take creatine because creatine causes them to hold more water.
Creatine helps with muscle recovery and rebuilding. When you exercise you create micro-tears in the muscle fibers. When these fibers repair themselves they are stronger which is how people build strength. Creatine aids in activating cells in your muscles which helps them heal the micro-tears. Studies have also found that creatine increases the presence of anabolic hormones which causes growth and tissue repair. On top of muscle growth and repair the boost in water content in cells can help reduce dehydration and cramping.
Creatine has been shown to have cognitive benefits as well. Recently a paper published by Scientific Reports expressed that studies have found that a single large dose of creatine can help with cognitive function which could help people who are acutely sleep deprived. Marco Machado, Ph.D, states that creatine has shown promise in improving cognition in older adults, particularly those who do not eat lots of animal products and who may have mild brain trauma and sleep depravity.