Creatine is a substance that is found naturally in muscle cells. It is a dietary supplement that improves exercise performance and increases fat-free mass. Creatine is a compound that is both made inside the body from amino acids and obtained through diet. About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscles, in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is stored in the brain, kidney, and liver.
10 scientificaly proven health benefits of creatine:
1) Creatine Helps Produce More Energy
Creatine supplements increase your muscle’s phosphocreatine stores. Phosphocreatine helps with the formation of new ATP, the key molecule your cells use for energy and all basic functions of life and fuels your muscles during high-intensity exercise and improve performance during those exercises.
2) Creatine Increases Strength And Exercise Performance
Creatine supplementation has been reported to increase body mass and improve performance in high-intensity, short duration exercise tasks. Using this supplement in combination with strength training amplifies the increase in muscle cell nuclei concentration, thereby increasing the growth of adult skeletal muscle. Supplementation enhanced free-fat mass, physical performance, and muscle morphology in response to heavy resistance training. Elevated levels of the protein myostatin are well known for slowing or totally inhibiting new muscle growth. Supplementation of creatine reduced these levels, increasing growth potential.
A research review found that adding creatine to a training program increased muscle strength by 8%, weightlifting performance by 14% and bench press one-rep max by up to 43%, compared to training alone. High doses (around 100mg/kg) increases testosterone levels, which might have a positive effect on exercise. Creatine supplementation in healthy individual showed a significant improvement in the rate of recovery of knee extensor muscle function after injury. Supplementation decreases plasma lipid peroxidation markers and enhances anaerobic performance.
3) Creatine Improves Brain Performance
Creatine monohydrate supplementation in young adult vegetarian subjects had a positive effect on both working memory and intelligence. Supplementation in elderly people improved their cognitive performance in one study. In one study following 36 hr sleep deprivation, supplemented individuals demonstrated improved performance on a random number generation task. Creatine supplements for older adults can improve the quality of life and may reduce the disease burden associated with sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue as a natural part of the aging process) and cognitive dysfunction.
4) Creatine Can Fight Other Neurological Diseases
Supplementation of creatine may increase Phosphocreatine and buffer against ATP depletion and thereby exert neuroprotective effects. Daily creatine supplementation helps decrease depression symptoms. 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, a marker for damaged DNA, was abnormally high in patients with Huntington’s condition, but creatine treatment reduced this marker. Creatine supplementation provided improvements in lifespan, muscle strength or motor unit numbers. Creatine supplements help treat other neorulogical and brain conditions, epilepsy, brain or spinal cord injuries.
5) Creatine May Reduce Fatigue
A five-day dose of creatine may be an effective strategy for delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue. Creatine supplementation had reduced ratings of perceived leg fatigue in endurance-trained people who performed exercises in heat. Following 24-h sleep deprivation, creatine supplementation had a positive effect on mood state and tasks that place a heavy stress on the prefrontal cortex.
6) Creatine Protects the Heart
Creatine helpes protect the heart after stress and increase repair activity. Creation of creatine also lowers homocysteine levels. Homocysteine can increase the risk for heart conditions, so lowering homocysteine can help with cardiovascular protection. Daily, 20g doses can lower cholesterol by 5%, lowering risk for heart attacks or other problems.
7) Creatine May Lower Blood Sugar Levels And Diabetes
Creatine demonstrated a significant decrease in OGTT (Oral glucose tolerance test) area under the curve compared to the placebo in healthy subjects undergoing aerobic training. Creatine supplementation is a possible nutritional therapy adjuvant with lowering blood sugar effects, particularly when used in conjunction with exercise.
8) Creatine Aids The Elderly
Creatine supplementation without associated training in the elderly could potentially delay atrophy of muscle mass, improve endurance and strength, and increase bone strength. Supplementation, when combined with resistance training, increased lean tissue mass and improved leg strength, endurance, and average power in men around 70 years old. Long-term supplementation combined with resistance training improves the ability to perform functional tasks and promotes a greater increase in maximal strength, fat-free mass, and muscle mass.
9) Creatine Improves Bone Health
Bone growth factors work with creatine to increase osteoblast formation, which helps increase bone formation and bone repair. Daily doses of creatine also reduced pain and symptoms of osteoarthritis.
10) Creatine May Help Against Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Supplementation is known to reduce fat accumulation, resulting in beneficial effects in fatty liver and non-alcoholic liver disease. Creatine prevents liver steatosis and lipid peroxidation. There was also a reduction in the accumulation of lipids in the liver cells.