Vitality of the Gods - Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that plays a crucial role in energy metabolism, particularly in high-intensity, short-duration activities. It is primarily stored in skeletal muscle tissue in the form of phosphocreatine. 

When you consume through a supplement, it is absorbed into your bloodstream and taken up by muscle cells. Within the muscle cells, creatine combines with a phosphate molecule to form phosphocreatine. This conversion is catalysed by an enzyme called creatine kinase. Phosphocreatine serves as a reservoir of high energy phosphate groups. During intense physical activity, such as weightlifting and sprinting, the muscle require a rapid supply of energy to fuel the contraction process. This energy is provided by Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of cells. When ATP is broken down to release energy, it loses one of its phosphate groups and becomes Adenosine Di-Phosphate (ADP). This is where phosphocreatine comes into play, by donating to ADP, converting it back to ATP. By replenishing ATP levels, creatine helps sustain high intensity muscular contractions/ performance for a longer duration. 

When it comes to taking creatine there are two common approaches: loading + maintenance or calculating based of body weight.

Loading phase: During this phase you consume high doses of creatine in a short period to saturate faster. This phase typically lasts 7-14 days. Take 20g (4 equal doses of 5g) over a 24 hour period. 

Maintenance phase: Once the loading phase is complete, you transition to the maintenance phase, where you consume 5-10g per day.  

To appropriately calculate creatine you need to have 0.1g per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

To calculate your recommended dose times your body weight by 0.03. Eg 100kg x 0.1 = 10g per day. 

Creatine supplementation has shown to increase lean muscle accrual via stimulating Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS), acting on anabolic hormones and reducing muscle protein breakdown.

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulatory pathway that stimulates MPS, studies have shown that creatine can stimulate its activation, which promotes the translation of genetic instructions into new muscle. 

Anabolic hormones such as Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1) and testosterone can be affected by supplementation of creatine, it is important to note however that the relationship between creatine and anabolic hormones is complex and is still a subject of ongoing research. 

Studies have suggested that creatine supplementation may help reduce protein breakdown or increase protein sparing during exercise, by increasing the readily available amount of energy/ ATP insuring that the cells energy needs are met, reducing the catabolic processes and by increasing the water uptake within the cell. 

Creatine increases the amount of water within the cell via osmosis. This increased uptake of water results in the cell swelling or cell volumising which leads to the muscle bellies looking bigger and fuller and also provides an environment that is less conducive to protein break down and promote muscle growth via Muscle Protein Synthesis. 

Supplementation of Creatine has been proven in a plentiful amount of clinical studies and meta analysis to increase strength and performance. A meta analysis published to the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2003 reported that supplementation of creatine led to an average increase of 14% during weightlifting exercises compared to a placebo group. However, it is important to note that individual results will vary depending on training style, dosages and physiology. 

Myostatin is a catabolic regulator of skeletal muscle mass that inhibits muscle differentiation and growth, decreasing myostatin levels theoretically promotes muscle growth. A randomised controlled trial on the effects of oral creatine supplementation and resistance training on serum myostatin and Differentiation Factor-Associated Serum Protein-1 (GASP-1) conducted in 2009, showed that creatine in conjunction with resistance training did lower myostatin and increase GASP-1 levels, which may explain the increased muscle mass that is amplified by creatine supplementation. 

Satellite cells play a crucial role in muscle repair and growth, they are essentially the stem cells of muscles. In 2006, a randomised controlled trial investigated the influence of creatine and protein supplementation on satellite cell frequency and number of myonuclei in human skeletal muscle over 16 weeks of heavy resistance training. This study for the first time measured creatine supplementation combined with strength training did infact amplify training induced increase in satellite cell number and myonuclei. 

Creatine has been found in some studies to potentially enhance cognitive function via increasing energy provision, neuropotection and mitochondrial function. The brain is an energy demanding organ, and creatine plays a key role in energy metabolism. Maintaining ATP levels is crucial for many brain functions, including: neural signalling and membrane stability. there is some evidence to suggest that creatine may have neuroprotective effects, potentially due to antioxidant effects and its role in maintaining cellular energy. This could help protect the brain from damage, thereby supporting cognitive function. Creatine has also been suggested to improve mitochondrial efficiency, the brain heavily relies on mitochondria as they are the energy producing structures in cells - for its needs.