More on Creatine

The BBC Panorama programme last night has caused a bit of interest in its expose that many of the products pushed for sports be they sports drinks, fancy footwear or BCAAs are actually pretty useless and in fact in some cases - drinking too much for example - can cause harm - reported here.

The paper behind this was in the BMJ

What actually crept into the programme at the end amid all of the debunking was a quiet statement that there are only two products that have really been found to have much in the way of positive benefits:  caffeine and creatine.

I have mentioned creatine a few times on here in the past.  I've tried it on and off and have never felt good with it - I cramp up and feel "dry".  I keep trying it again, although I've not had any for a couple of years.

Anyway, coincidentally I saw this abstract today of a review about Creatine, I've not read it yet, but the whole paper is available

Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update

Creatine is one of the most popular and widely researched natural supplements. The majority of studies have focused on the effects of creatine monohydrate on performance and health; however, many other forms of creatine exist and are commercially available in the sports nutrition/supplement market. Regardless of the form, supplementation with creatine has regularly shown to increase strength, fat free mass, and muscle morphology with concurrent heavy resistance training more than resistance training alone. Creatine may be of benefit in other modes of exercise such as high-intensity sprints or endurance training. However, it appears that the effects of creatine diminish as the length of time spent exercising increases. Even though not all individuals respond similarly to creatine supplementation, it is generally accepted that its supplementation increases creatine storage and promotes a faster regeneration of adenosine triphosphate between high intensity exercises. These improved outcomes will increase performance and promote greater training adaptations. More recent research suggests that creatine supplementation in amounts of 0.1 g/kg of body weight combined with resistance training improves training adaptations at a cellular and sub-cellular level. Finally, although presently ingesting creatine as an oral supplement is considered safe and ethical, the perception of safety cannot be guaranteed, especially when administered for long period of time to different populations (athletes, sedentary, patient, active, young or elderly).