Contents
- 1 What is creatine?
- 2 Health benefits
- ⏩2.1 Increased energy production
- 2.2 Increased muscle mass
- 2.3 Improving brain function
- 2.4 Other benefits
- 3 side effects
- 4 References
What is creatine
Creatine is an amino acid found in the muscles of the body and the brain. It may be produced industrially. It can be obtained by eating seafood and red meat. It is also produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. It is worth noting that creatine converts to phosphocreatine, and it is stored in the muscles where it can be used as energy, so athletes take creatine supplements to improve athletic performance and increase muscle mass, and it can also be used to treat some conditions such as some brain disorders, and skin aging. [1]
Health benefits
Increased energy production
Creatine helps muscle cells produce more energy, as its supplementation increases the stores of phosphocreatine in the muscles, which in turn produces the organic energy complex (ATP), which is the main component of energy production, and because its rate of consumption is faster than the rate of its reproduction, it Creatine supplements can be taken to increase the stores of phosphocreatine, as this increases the production of the organic energy complex, which helps increase muscle strength during strength exercises. [2]
Increased muscle mass
Creatine alters some pathways within the cell that lead to muscle growth, by increasing the building of proteins that produce new muscle fibers, and creatine supplementation increases the water content in the muscles, and thus increases their size, and some research has also shown that creatine supplement reduces the level of myostatin ( Myostatin), responsible for impeding muscle growth. [2]
Improve brain function
Creatine plays an important role in improving brain health and functions, just as creatine supplementation increases the stores of phosphocreatine in the brain, and thus helps to produce more organic energy complex. A study has found that vegetarians ’intake of creatine supplement will improve their remembering level by 20-50%, and showed Other studies protect it from neurological diseases. [2]
Other benefits
- Maintains muscle health in the elderly. [2]
- Some research has indicated that creatine supplementation can help reduce blood sugar levels by stimulating the action of GLUT4, the molecule that transports sugar from the blood to the muscles. [2]
side effects
Taking creatine supplements can cause some side effects, including: [3]
- Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle spasm.
- Dehydration, since creatine works to draw water from the body toward the muscles, so care must be taken to drink more water during the period it is taken, with an emphasis on avoiding exercise when the temperature is too high during this period, because this leads to dryness of the body.
- Weight gain due to water retention in the muscles.
- Taking creatine with caffeine and the herb ephedra may increase the chance of a stroke.
Social Plugin