What is it?
Creatine was discovered more than 170 years ago by researcher Michel Eugene Chevreul, is a naturally occurring amine in the cells of eucariated organisms that can be produced endogenously and stored mainly in muscles, or can be ingested through foods and supplements. Creatine in the human body is in free form in about 60-70% or in its phosphorylade form 30-40%, as phosphocreatine.
What’s creatine for?
The main function of creatine is the adoption of phosphate for the production of energy in the cell through ATP in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme creatine kinase (CK). The ATP/CP system plays a fundamental role in bioenergetics, being extremely requested in muscles and brain tissue, whose energy consumption is high. Thus, it has the ability to increase muscle mass, strength and exercise performance. Such benefits corroborate that this is one of the most consumed dietary supplements worldwide by athletes and sportsmen.
How does creatine work?
In the body, synthesis occurs exponentially in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, using three amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine, as precursors and the synthesis is directly dependent on their availability. The main sources of dietary creatine are those of animal origin, such as dairy products and meats. Currently, the industry produces three subtypes: monohydrated, micronized and alkaline, which differ from each other by molecular structure, absorption time and commercial price.
When do you need to supplement?
Given that vegetarian and vegan people consume even smaller amounts of creatine, this is a population that benefits from supplementation. Regarding the degree of scientific evidence, it is indicated in addition to the common use of athletes because it presents positive effects on memory, cognition and intestinal health, with indication for young people, adults and the elderly. Many protocols are for consumption, the most common is about 3 to 5 grams every day, or 0.8g/kg of body weight, being the choice of the protocol made from the professional’s analyses.
Reference
Kreider, R. B., & Stout, J. R. (2021). Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients
, 13
(2), 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020447
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