What is all the Hype About Creatine?

By now, everyone has heard from someone they know about creatine. Creatine has broken the chains of its reputation as a supplement for meat heads trying to “gain”, and is now in fact the 2nd most studied supplement in the field of exercise, behind caffeine. So why do scientists now encourage everyone to be supplementing their diets with creatine?

Creatine helps us in the gym for one. It increases exercise performance, and overall energy output at the cellular level. What does this mean? Supplementing creatine boosts your body’s stores of Phosphocreatine, which helps the formation of ATP, which is how your body stores and delivers energy. It increases the rate of recovery of your muscles after working out, which in turn, speeds up muscle growth. Yes, we have all heard the claim that its only water-weight making your muscles look bigger after creatine. In the short run, this is true. Creatine draws water into your muscles, increasing their water content, making them bigger. But in the long run, the added water content in your muscles is helping them work harder so that they do in fact grow in muscle volume, and at a faster rate. So in short, yes, supplementing creatine will yield better results when paired with an active lifestyle, but theres more to it!

Studies have shown that creatine may also boost brain function. Our brains require the so much of our bodies energy to operate, wouldn’t it follow that increasing the available energy in our bodies would have a positive effect on our cognitive abilities? Further research is being done to confirm that creatine may also prevent neurological diseases like Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Epilepsy and more. We mentioned before that supplementing creatine will boost your bodies stores of Phosphocreatine. A major cause of a lot of neurological disorders is a significant reduction of Phosphocreatine in the brain. Studies are being conducted to show the effectiveness of creatine in combating ALS, which is a disease that attacks neurological pathways and kills motor function. While much of this is only theorized, many professionals are confident that at the very least, creatine does help boost the faculties of your body that are damaged and attacked by neurological diseases, and suggest that it is a safe and preventative measure for your health to supplement your diet with creatine.

We here at WIldlyWell are big fans of creatine. We recommend taking a scoop (3-5g) of a monohydrate (this is the most effective form of creatine) every day. It helps us keep up with our active lifestyles and enhances our performance whether in competition or just in every day life! Remember that it draws water into your muscles, so make sure you stay hydrated!

As always, wishing you the best health!

WildlyWell

References

Forbes, S. C., Cordingley, D. M., Cornish, S. M., Gualano, B., Roschel, H., Ostojic, S. M., Rawson, E. S., Roy, B. D., Prokopidis, K., Giannos, P., & Candow, D. G. (2022). Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health. Nutrients, 14(5), 921. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14050921