Creatine - Supplements Descriptions

Creatine
(Ultimate Nutrition)

by Gary F. Zeolla

Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements there is. And most of the research shows it is a safe and effective supplement for those engaging in sports requiring short bursts of high intensity muscle contractions, like the powerlifting I compete in.

During intensive exercise, the body first uses its muscular stores of ATP (andesine tri-phosphate). The ATP is converted into ADP (andesine di-phosphate). Once the stored ATP is depleted, the body utilizes stored creatine phosphate (CP) to reconverted the ADP into ATP. Once both ATP and CP are depleted, the exercise must stop long enough to allow the body to restore the ATP levels. But creatine supplementation increases the stores of creatine phosphate (CP).

What this means is an exercise can be continued for a longer period (i.e. more reps can be done in a given set) and shorter rest times are required between sets as the APT is replenished quicker. I have especially found the latter to be true. With creatine, I can rest a little less time between sets, and I feel stronger on second and subsequent sets of a given exercise.

There are lots of brands of creatine available, but I like Creapure(r). From research I have done, this is considered to be the purest form brand of creatine available. It is certified as being pharmaceutical grade. This is the highest grade of supplement one can get. What this means is there are no impurities in it. Creapure is manufactured in a GMP (Good Manufacturing Products) facility in Germany but then marketed in the USA under different brands. Two brands that contain Creapure are Jarrow Formulas and Ultimate Nutrition. So with these brands, you'll be getting high-quality creatine.

The importance of using high quality creatine was noted in a research study on creatine I read some time ago. It mentioned that in all the studies done on creatine, there were never any side effects noted. However, there have been anecdotal reports of side effects from creatine use. The researchers explained the apparent discrepancy by stating that the reported side effects outside of studies were probably due to impurities in the creatine the people were using. So stick to using a high quality product.

I especially like Ultimate Nutrition's Creapure. Unlike the Jarrow product, it is micronized. This means the particles are smaller, so it mixes up in even cold water easily, with no clumping whatsoever. I would assume it is also absorbed more easily in the body.

The label states, "HPLC tested and analyzed 100% purity... guaranteed to be free of impurities and by-products: creatinine (CRN), dicyandiamide (DCD), and dihydrotriazline (DHT) according to present analytical methods." So it is pure creatine, nothing else. Note, HPLC stands for high performance liquid chromatography. "HPLC is used to separate components of a mixture by using a variety of chemical interactions between the substance being analyzed (analyte) and the chromatography column" (Wikipedia).

Creatine is best taken about half an hour to an hour before or immediately after a workout. I personally mix three grams in with my pre-workout drink, but those much larger than me (~120 pounds) might want to use five grams. It is also best to take creatine with carbohydrate, like maltodextrin, brown rice syrup (available at health food stores), or Ultimate Nutrition's Pure Muscle Carbs. Such carbs increase insulin levels, which helps to drive the creatine not the muscles cells. It should be noted, that fruit juice is not as effective in this regard.

Note also, that some report getting bloated from creatine. I do not have a problem this problem if I take it before or after a workout. But if I take it at other times I do. I can only assume that the creatine is used up when I take it before a workout or it is used to replenish muscle creatine if I take it afterwards. But if taken apart from a workout, there’s no use for the creatine, so for some reason that causes the bloating.

Along these lines, many recommend a "loading" phase, taking five grams of creatine five times a day for the first five days. That is a complete waste of money, and the reason many experience bloating from creatine use. The only reason that was ever done was in an initial research study the researchers wanted to get the participant's creatine levels up as high as possible as quickly as possible to shorten the length and thus cost of the study. But by taking just five grams a day, you will end up with the same creatine levels, it will just take a couple of weeks. But you'll save yourself the negative side effects and using up half the container of creatine the first week.

Another point to note, creatine degrades if left in a liquid for a period of time. So it is best to mix it into your pre- or post-workout drink immediately before use. Do not mix it up hours ahead of time.

A final point to note is that there are a lot of "specialty" creatine products. These products claim to increase the absorption by adding elements like arginine or alpha lipoic acid or by using a different form of creatine than the creatine monohydrate found in most creatine products. I have tried some of these products but have not found them to work any better than a high quality creatine plus maltodextrin or brown rice syrup. But one thing they will do is lighten your wallet quicker. So save yourself some money and get Creapure via Jarrow or Ultimate Nutrition and some maltodextrin or brown rice syrup rather than any specialty creatine product.

Creatine dosage from the “food cops”

I just read an interesting recommendation for creatine dosage in Nutrition Action Healthletter (Dec. 2009, p.9). This newsletter is published by CSPI, better known as the “food cops.” This issue contained the article about the ridiculously high amounts of calories and saturated fat in movie theater popcorn that you might have heard reported on the news.

In any case, the issue also contained an article about the benefits of exercise, which included a section on creatine. It confirmed what many of us already know, that creatine is effective in adding muscular strength, not just for “bodybuilders” but even for senior citizens. But what I found interesting was the dosage recommendation.

The article recommended taking one gram of creatine per 20 pounds of bodyweight, half before a workout and half afterwards. It also said creatine is more effective if taken with 20-25 grams of protein.

I’ve been taking about four grams of creatine with my pre-workout drink, which also contains a scoop of protein powder, so I got the 20-25 grams of protein part. But this dosage would work out to about six grams total of creatine, three grams before and three after.

As I mention above and in my powerlifting book, I’ve found that if I take creatine either before or after a workout I don’t have a problem with bloating, but if I take it at other times I do. I used to take it after my workouts but more recently I’ve been taking it before. However, I never tried taking it both before and afterwards, but that might be worth a try. So I think I’ll try slightly reducing my pre-workout dose then add a second three gram dose with my post-workout dinner. I’ll see if that pattern helps any further.
11/29/09

Update

To update the above post, I tried splitting up my creatine dosage, taking half before and half after my workouts. But I didn’t feel that provided as much benefit as taking the full dose before my workouts. However, the slightly increased dosage did seem to help. So the dosage recommendation of one gram of creatine per 20 pounds of bodyweight seems about right.

That same dosage also seems to work for my post-workout glutamine. So my basic workout supplement/ food plan now is six grams of creatine with my pre-workout drink, drunk about 45 minutes pre-workout, then six grams of glutamine immediately post-workout. Then I shower and then eat dinner.
12/13/09

Another Update

In August of 2010 I was diagnosed with elevated blood CPK levels. My doctor sent me to a rheumatologist, and she redid the test. That time, the levels were normal. But the difference was, when I first took the test I was in hard training, but the re-test was done when I was in the middle of a four week break.

Elevated CPK levels are "normal' for weightlifters, so that is probably all the elevated levels were due to. However, the "C" in CPK stands for "Creatine." And during my break from lifting I did not use creatine. So I asked the doctor if the usage of creatine could have contributed to the elevated CPK levels. She had no idea. But just in case, I reduced the dosage to 3 grams. And that seems to be working fine.
11/25/10

Jarrow's Creapure is available from WebVitamins and iHerb.
Ultimate Nutrition's Creapure is available at Bodybuilding.com.
Ultimate Nutrition's Pure Muscle Carbs is also available at Bodybuilding.com.
For iHerb, when checking out, use referral code HOP815 to receive $5.00 off your first order.

The above article was posted on this site May 7, 2004.
It was last updated December 13, 2009.

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