Creatine 101

Creatine is the most under utilized supplement in the world of CrossFit.

When talking to CrossFit athletes I hear a variety of concerns and I want to put those to rest…I am going to drop some knowledge on why creatine is a necessity if you are interested in improving performance.

So what makes creatine so great?

It helps to regenerate Adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) into adenosine di-phosphate (ADP), of course!

Huh???

Long story short, creatine helps to delay fatigue and also helps to fuel the energy system (phosphagen) that is responsible for high intensity/short duration exercise. It can help with strength gains, running faster, and training longer!

So now that we have established why creatine is more than just a supplement for the bodybuilder bro… lets put to rest some the rumors that surround creatine supplementation.

"Is creatine a steroid?"

No. Creatine is a tri-peptide that is naturally produced in the body. It can also be found in fish, beef, and eggs. It is made of three amino acids: L-arginine, L-glycine, and L-methionine.

"Doesn't creatine hurt your kidneys?"

No. When you take creatine it is processed through your kidneys. The excess is converted into "creatinine". When measuring kidney function, high creatinine levels can be a sign of damage UNLESS you are supplementing creatine. In that case, the higher creatinine levels are just a result of the creatine supplementation. All research shows that creatine does not harm your kidneys.

"Doesn't creatine make you bloat?"

No. It is true that creatine makes you retain more water... but almost all of this water is intra-cellular (in the muscle cells). If you look soft...it's most likely from overconsumption of calories and carbohydrates, not creatine supplementation.

BOTTOM LINE:

•Creatine is great for helping to increase strength, power output, and lean body mass. Take 5-10g daily depending on bodyweight.

•Skip the fancy variations and stick to monohydrate. It is cheap and has been proven effective through hundreds of studies.

•It works great for men AND women looking to improve athletic performance and build muscle tissue