in 1832 the french scientist chevreul discovered a new ingredient of meat to which he gave the name creatine, according to the source from which it was extracted (kreas: greek for flesh). the german scientist justus von liebig confirmed that creatine is a regular constituent of flesh. creatine levels in wild animals were 10 times higher compared to captive animals suggesting that physical activity might have an influence on the amount of creatine present in flesh. a meat extract (liebigs fleischextrakt) was the only source for creatine supplementation over the next century.

anecdotal reports in the early 1990’s suggested that creatine supplementation might improve sport performance. british track and field 1992 olympic champions linford christie (100 m dash) and sally gunnell (400 m hurdles) reportedly used creatine, as did the cambridge university rowing team in training for three months before defeating the heavily favored oxford . numerous controlled clinical trials followed in the upcoming years proving the benefits of creatine supplementation in different sports. 

many celebrated professional athletes and olympic champions acknowledge creatine use and estimated 80% of the athletes at the 1996 summer olympics in atlanta used creatine. mark mcgwire, one of major league baseball’s greatest sluggers, used creatine during the 1998 season and his legendary race to set the single season home run record, making creatine the most popular sports nutrition in the us. creatine supplementation has become a common practice among professional, elite, collegiate and amateur athletes to enhance exercise performance. Today creatine is one of the best-studied supplements in the field of sports nutrition and its proven efficacy as an ergogenic substance was reviewed and accepted by numerous authorities.One of the most heavily researched supplements in the history of sports nutrition (over 200 studies to date, over the last decade), creatines efficacy cannot be denied. 

In recent years creatine has been studied for its post-exercise muscle regeneration properties. Findings have been very promising. In 2004, Santos and colleagues studied the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle cell damage in experienced endurance athletes running a 30-kilometre race12.

Closely monitoring several markers of cell damage (including creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, prostaglandin-E and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) in their sample of 18 male athletes (who used 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for five days, mixed with 60 grams of maltodextrine), the researchers found levels of these markers were reduced after the race, compared to 16 control subjects who took only the maltodextrine.

They concluded that creatine supplementation somehow reduced muscle cell damage and inflammation following the exhaustive exercise. The researchers issued the following statement:

It seems creatine also helps to promote complete recovery from intense exercise. Another reason strength and endurance athletes may benefit from its use.

3 CREATINE IMPROVES ANAEROBIC CAPACITY

In their impressive study, Ziegenfuss and fellow researchers demonstrated that creatine loading over just three days significantly improved muscle volume and cycle sprint performance in elite power athletes

For this study, ten male and ten female athletes were assigned to creatine or placebo groups, where, before and after the three-day creatine supplementation period, they were assessed on repeated sprint performance and thigh muscle volume - the creatine group was given 0.35 grams of creatine per kilogram of fat free mass, and all subjects completed six maximal ten second cycle sprints with 60 seconds of recovery in between.

It was found that over the three-day period, creatine subjects experienced increased total body mass of, on average, 0.9 kilograms, a 6.6% increase in thigh volume (in five of six creatine taking participants), and increases in performance in all six sprints. Their anaerobic capacity clearly had improved with the addition of creatine, compared to the control subjects who took in only maltodextrin.

"CREATINE HAS A PROPERTY THAT CAUSES MUSCLE CELLS TO INFLATE, WHICH PRODUCES A MORE HEAVILY MUSCLED APPEARANCE."

Another important benefit for bodybuilders and strength athletes is creatines muscle volumizing effect 3. Creatine has a property that causes muscle cells to inflate, which produces a more heavily muscled appearance, and, more importantly, serves as a stimulus for protein synthesis.

Up to six pounds of added bodyweight in the first few weeks is commonly reported in those who begin creatine supplementation (a process primarily accounted for by water moving rapidly from the bloodstream to the muscle).

As explained previously in this article, creatine's erogenic actions work to assist energy production and power output, resulting in muscle size and strength, and improved performance. Additionally, it has been found creatine provides a powerful anabolic boost through its enhancing of systemic methylation (the regulation of gene expression, protein synthesis and RNA metabolism through enzymatic catalyzation) status 14.

Indeed, methylation is a process that is essential for the supporting of life itself. A molecule known as SAM (S-Adenosyl Methionine) is the body's principal methyl donor, and a breakdown in its production can adversely affect whole-body anabolism.

Creatine drains the body's SAM reserves like nothing else, which, in turn, deleteriously impacts methylation status (during its synthesisation by the liver and kidneys, creatine draws heavily from the SAM reserves). Supplementing creatine will enhance methylation status, as it will lessen the drain on the liver and kidneys, and alleviate the body's need to synthesize creatine from amino acids.

Widely known for it muscle-building benefits, creatine, it appears, has much more to offer than its erogenic properties. Researchers Wyss and Schulze looked at the broader health implications of creatine as they tried to determine its value in treat[ing] several neurodegenerative, vascular and muscular disorders 15.

Their findings, published in the prestigious Neuroscience, showed creatine to be an extremely important neuroprotectant (an agent that increases the survival of nerve cells to environmental insults).

Energy metabolism and the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (very small molecules that can result in significant damage to cell structures, of which include oxygen ions, free radicals and peroxides) are thought to underpin many nuerodegenerative disorders, and creatine is thought to enhance the brains ability to survive the metabolic and physical trauma associated with these conditions.

It was found by Wyss and colleagues that those with neurodegenerative disorders associated with creatine deficiencies (inborn errors in creatine production and storage) may require supplemental creatine, in order for it to be more effectively delivered to the central nervous system.

Serving Size: 5 grams (2 scoops)

Servings Per Container: 20

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Creatine Monohydrate Powder 5 g 

 % Daily Value noe established

SUGGESTED USE: 1 to 2 servings daily or as directed by a

healthcare professional. For best results, take 30 to 45

minutes before and / or after training with 8-12 ounces of

juice or high carbohydrate beverage. It is advisable to take

this product in cycles: 4 to 6 weeks on, then 4 to 6 weeks o .

Do not exceed 10 grams per day.