Creatine Monohydrate: The Misunderstood Star of Sports Nutrition by Dr. David Synnott
1. What is creatine monohydrate?
2. How should I take creatine?
3. What are the benefits of creatine?
4. What is a creatine loading phase?
5. Does creatine dehydrate you?
6. Should I use creatine?
7. What’s different about Kinetica 100% Creatine?
To start, it’s important to note that creatine is not only for professional athletes. Although its use is often promoted for athletes who partake in high intensity exercise, such as competitive weight training or elite sprinting, it’s for so much more than that! Creatine can enhance the muscle’s response to high intensity exercises, and take your training to the next level; from the recreational cyclist challenging their partner to an uphill sprint that used to leave them gasping, to the twice weekly tennis player wanting to improve their serve in the latter part of a game.
1. What is creatine monohydrate?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound, made by the kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
It is produced as a by-product of the breakdown of amino acids from foods such as red meat and seafood(1), which are the building blocks of protein. Creatine assists in regenerating muscle energy quickly, allowing you to carry out the activity repeatedly over a short period of time. This allows for increased fuel regeneration which is essential in maintaining muscle power output and contraction. It can be vastly useful for anyone wanting to take their training to the next level; males and females, young and old, recreational and professional athletes. Several well-controlled studies have also shown clear-cut data for creatine’s strength and lean muscle gains in healthy people.(2) It assists the body in promoting healthy muscle fibres which can function more efficiently as a result. For those of us who like to invest in our physical wellbeing, creatine promotes value for muscle.
2. How should I take creatine?
Kinetica 100% Creatine is a flavourless and versatile powder that can be added to any liquid or used as an ingredient in food. A typical omnivorous diet contains approximately 1 gram per day. In general, additional benefits occur with intakes of 3-5g per day.(3)
Light servings of creatine can be added to breakfast cereals or porridge, your lunchtime smoothie, your reusable water bottle at work, or mixed in with your pre/post-workout shake. Creatine should be used as a supplement, not as a replacement for other foods. It is important to maintain a balanced diet whilst using the product for maximum results.
3. What are the benefits of creatine?
Creatine is highly rated by many athletes and weekend warriors who push their limits for enjoyment, improvement, and a competitive edge. It gives you the opportunity to have more days where you can push for your personal best, whether that be having the ability to squeeze out an extra rep at the gym before hitting the office or improving recovery after a workout. There is also emerging evidence of health benefit associated with creatine consumption outside the limits of sport and exercise. Supplementation has been shown to enhance recovery in adolescents with mild traumatic brain injury (concussion)(4), increase bone mineral density in older consumers(5), and offset side effects of sleep deprivation in students, multi-day event athletes, and shift workers(6).
Studies have shown numerous health benefits for the general population such as those at risk of a heart attack or stroke, users with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, and consumers with musculoskeletal disorders like age-related muscle wastage (sarcopenia).
4. What is a creatine loading phase?
A creatine loading phase involves taking a higher initial dose of creatine, typically two 10g or four 5g servings daily, before eventually cutting down to the recommended 3-5g per day. The loading phase is used by athletes who may be under time constraints or who wish to peak for a competition or event coming up soon. Many consumers are turned off by the initial reactive phase to creatine which can lead to gaining water weight in the body. Whilst this causes bloating for some and is a justifiable reason to think this product isn’t what you’re looking for, it will pass and is only an initial response. In order to gain fat tissue in the body, one must consume more calories. Creatine has a very low calorific content and its contribution to gaining fat tissue is negligible. The loading phase might therefore be something that a proportion of users wish to avoid. Creatine stores build up over time and reach their maximum potential between 3 and 4 weeks after starting the daily 3-5g regime. These higher quantities of creatine during a loading phase can result in a temporary increase in body weight due to water retention, as mentioned. Sticking to the recommended creatine dosage of 3.4g daily will minimise any fluid retention so you can forget about the scales.
5. Does creatine dehydrate you?
The simple answer to this question is no. A common misconception around dehydration in creatine users is often quoted as reasons for avoidance by both professionals and weekend warriors. Whilst important to maintain sufficient fluid intake for daily living and exercise during creatine use, consumers have actually shown reduced incidence of dehydration, muscle cramping, muscle strain, non-contact injuries, and missed training sessions.(7) We’ve all had that feeling of being glued to the bed on the morning after a tough training day. The impact Creatine monohydrate can have on reducing recovery time can be all the motivation you need to hop back on the bike, pull on running shoes again, or grab the gym bag for more. Creatine has also been shown to increase exercise tolerance in hot environments, which is especially useful for training camps abroad, Saturday afternoon sessions in summer, and those days when sun cream is our greatest friend.
6. So, should I use creatine?
The long answer to the question is you need to make choices on what you consume based on your own understanding of what works for you but the short answer, in theory is yes.(3) The only consistently reported side effect of creatine monohydrate in literature is weight gain, as discussed. Short and long-term studies in in both healthy and diseased populations, at dosages ranging from 0.3 to 0.8g/kg/day for up to 5 years have demonstrated that the supplement poses no adverse health risks and may provide many well-being and performance benefits. Just like all sports nutrition products, anecdotal associations and online superstitions are continuously investigated extensively. As per thousands of studies, there is no scientific evidence for creatine monohydrate at the recommended doses causing harm.
7. What’s different about 100% Creatine?
At Kinetica, we take the necessary steps to ensure consumers can trust the quality of our range. Each and every batch of Kinetica 100% Creatine is made using industry renowned Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate and is tested to comply to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) exacting standards under the Informed Sport testing regime to ensure we offer our customers a safe and dependable sports nutrition product. Product safety is always our number one priority.
