Creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports supplement
available today. There are numerous studies backed by anecdotal
evidence that support the efficacy of creatine supplementation. For the
majority of the population, from the untrained individual to the elite
athlete, creatine supplementation increases lean muscle tissue and
improves anaerobic and aerobic performance. Best of all creatine has been approved as safe and legal for use by all leading sporting bodies including the International Olympic Committee, IAAF, Football Premier League and the NFL, Major League Baseball and NBA in the USA.
Creatine is a natural constituent of meat,
mainly found in red meat. Creatine is manufactured naturally in the
body from the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine. Creatine is used for the resynthesis of
ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the "power" that drives
muscular energetics. When a muscle is required to contract, the bonds
in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate).
The energy released by breaking this bond powers the contraction of the
muscle.
Supplementation with creatine increases creatine stored within the muscle, allowing further capacity to regenerate ATP.
In other words, the creatine enhances the ability of the muscle to
maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise.
