Creatine Essay Research Paper Creatine is not

Creatine Essay, Research Paper

Creatine is not an Herb, mineral, vitamin, hormone, or a steroid. It is also not those bread cubes that you scatter over your salad, either. Creatine is a natural nutrient found in our bodies and the bodies of most animals. Approximately ninety five percent is scattered throughout the rest of the body, with the highest concentrations in the heart, brain and testes. The human body gets most of the creatine it needs from the food or dietary supplements. Creatine is easily absorbed from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. When dietary consumption’s is inadequate to meet the body’s needs, a limited supply can be synthesized from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. This creatine production occurs in the liver, pancreas and kidneys. This is just a little bit about creatine and for my experiential component, I interviewed the weight training coach for LIU, Mr. Ken Tavani.

Creatine is an essential player in the primary energy source used for muscle contractions. It exists in two different forms within the muscle fiber, as a free (chemically-unbound) creatine and as creatine phosphate. This later form of creatine makes up two-thirds of the total creatine supply. When your muscles contract, the initial fuel for this movement is a compound called ATP. This compound provides energy by releasing one of its phosphate molecules. It then becomes a different compound called ADP. Unfortunately, there is only enough ATP to provide energy for about ten seconds, so for muscle contraction to continue more ATP must be produced. Creatine phosphate comes to the rescue by giving up its phosphate molecule to ADP, recreating ATP. This ATP can then be burned again as fuel for more muscle contraction. The bottom line is that your ability to regenerate ATP depends on your supply of creatine. More creatine means more ATP is being remade, and this increases your ability to train your muscles to their maximum potential. This greater ATP synthesis also keeps your body from relying on another energy system called glycolysis, which has lactic acid as a byproduct. This lactic acid creates the burning sensation you feel during intense exercise. If the amount of acid becomes too great, muscle movement stops. But if you keep on using ATP because of all the creatine you have, you can minimize the amount of lactic acid produced and actually exercise longer and harder. “This helps you to gain strength, power, and muscle size, and you won’t get fatigued as easily” (Saheliar).

Creatine has also been shown to enhance your body’s ability to make proteins, especially the proteins within the muscle fibers. Two of these proteins, actin and myosin, are essential to all muscle contraction. So when you build up your supply of these contractile proteins, you are actually increasing your muscles ability to perform physical activities. And the more work or activities you do, whether it is lifting weights or running the one hundred meter dash, the stronger you will become over time. Creatine can also absorb intracellular water, thus resulting in a higher muscle volume. An additional way creatine increases muscle size is thought to be its fluid retention abilities within muscle tissues.

Although the research on creatine and exercise performance is relatively new, so far it appears that the greatest benefits occur in those who wish to put on muscle mass. Athletes in body building, power lifting, martial arts, and track and field events, such as javelin, and shot-put may benefit the most due o greater strength. “Wrestlers, football players, bodybuilders, and anyone else who wishes to have more muscle build will find creatine extremely helpful” (Sahelian).

Athletes insist creatine works in any sport. Football player Wadsworth, who started college as a two hundred and seventeen pound walk on was hardly considered a prospect. He transformed himself into a two hundred and eighty five pound incredible hulk. Wadsworth’s explanation, “Creatine, I have been taking it for three years and it worked tremendously.” The Saint John’s University basketball program buys creatine for its athletes, while the Giants and Yankees leave it up to their players to decide whether it is safe for them. Superstar outfielder, of the Baltimore Orioles, and Shannon Sharpe, of the Denver Broncos, say the nutrient has helped them pump up their physiques. Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys also states that creatine is effective. The Broncos, for one, have designated creatine as their official supplement. The former trainer at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas says ” We had about two hundred athletes taking creatine, and I never so any negative effects from taking it.” Margold, the Yankee pitcher, said “That catchers and pitchers who depend on rapid recovery between pitches may benefit” (Gola).

It is still unclear whether athletes involved in endurance activities, such as marathon running or long distance bicycling will benefit from creatine supplementation. There have been anecdotal reports that people in these sports may benefit. The difficulty in these situations appear to center on the increased muscle mass which creatine provides. While that’s great, if your a bodybuilder or a wrestler, but it can be a detriment if you have to carry all that weight around during a marathon or triathlon. It becomes a trade off between the increased strength you get from creatine and the i