THE BENEFITS OF CREATINE
Creatine is an organic acid formed by the body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It is formed from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. Glycine and arginine can be produced by the body but methionine must be obtained from the diet. All three of these amino acids, including creatine itself, can be obtained from the diet by eating sea food, poultry, red meat and eggs.
Ninety-five percent of creatine is stored in the muscles as phosphocreatine/creatine phosphate. A small amount (5%) is stored in the brain. The body produces around one gram per day. Creatine is a source of energy and is important to the development of muscle growth, size and strength. In addition to its role in building muscle tissue, supplemental creatine has been used to treat some brain disorders, neuromuscular conditions and congestive heart disease.
When eating a diet that includes creatine rich foods, muscle will contain around a 60 to 80% saturation level of this nutrient. The primary reason for supplementing with creatine is to increase saturation levels and thus provide for increased utilization of this nutrient in order to experience its benefits.
Creatine has been demonstrated to increase recovery time from intense workouts. It appears to do this by elevating glycogen in muscle tissue. Glycogen is stored carbohydrate. A condition called sarcopenia occurs as we age which is the loss of muscle mass and strength. Creatine has been shown to slow down sarcopenia.
Creatine plays an important role in cell regulation. It helps to quickly regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the basic energy molecule that our cells use to provide the necessary energy for cells to properly function.
Creatine has been well researched. There are over 1000 studies on creatine. The research has shown that when taking creatine along with exercise, it can improve the amount of weight you are able to lift. Several studies published in PubMed showed an increase of 32% in amount of weight able to be lifted and a 7.2% increase in muscle mass using creatine over a period of twelve and eight weeks respectively.
Creatine monohydrate is the most commonly used supplemental form of creatine and the one most studied. The general recommendation for people who use creatine as a supplement is 3 to 5 grams per day. Studies show that loading up on a higher dose of creatine offers no advantage.
At Milk ‘N Honey we carry several different brands of creatine in both powder and capsule form.