One of my specialties is the supplement, creatine – the king of all supplements. While I’ve already covered a few key aspects of this wonder supplement in past articles, I still get the same basic questions about it. In fact, the questions below are probably the most common of any. In this article, I am giving you the answers to the most common questions, to provide you with the information you need to get solid results for your clients, and add lots of cash to your register!
Q: What is creatine and what does it do?
A: In short, creatine (monohydrate) is the most researched and proven sports supplement on the market today. Literally hundreds of clinical studies show that creatine can enhance lean body mass, increase strength, enhance energy levels, and increase muscle size. Unfortunately, creatine can sometimes also cause some unwanted effects that many of us could do without (like stomach discomfort and bloating). However, there have been some exciting, new advances in creatine supplementation, and while some of these advances are backed by real science, others are merely science fiction at best. So, be careful.
Creatine works by supporting the reproduction of ATP (energy) in muscle tissue and causing cell “volumization” (cellular hydration or drawing water inside muscle cells) which can lead to increased protein synthesis and a more favorable cellular environment for growth. More energy reserves in your muscle tissue means you can train harder and increase explosive power when performing anaerobic exercise, such as weight training.
Q: I’ve just started taking a creatine powder and I’m not really noticing a difference. Does creatine just not work for some people?
A: Research suggests that 20% to 30% of individuals who ingest creatine by itself don’t respond; hence the term, “non-responders.” Their muscles (for a number of reasons) don’t take-up the optimal amount of creatine. Some research suggests that taking creatine along with simple sugars (which raises insulin levels) will stimulate creatine uptake in muscle, and it will increase responsiveness to creatine. However, the problem may be that certain people are not getting enough creatine into their systems.
Q: My friend told me I should stop drinking coffee because it tends to minimize creatine’s effects. Is that true?
A: This theory has its roots in a 1996 study that compared the effects of oral creatine supplementation alone, and in combination with caffeine, on muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) levels and performance in nine, healthy male volunteers. The study showed the usual ergogenic response to creatine supplementation. The authors remarked that their data showed creatine supplementation to elevate muscle PCr and to markedly improve performance during intense intermittent exercise. This ergogenic effect, however, was completely eliminated by caffeine intake.
In the ensuing six years, the interaction between caffeine and creatine was largely ignored and, in fact, most people “in the know” didn’t believe that caffeine had any adverse effects on the ergogenic effects of creatine.
Six years later, the same lab produced another study showing that caffeine intake can override some of the effects of creatine on muscle mass and strength. Specifically, the researchers found that oral creatine supplementation shortens muscle relaxation time in humans by 5%. According to the researchers, this shortened muscle relaxation time may be important to the performance-enhancing action of creatine supplementation, as well as to power production during sprint exercise. Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that short-term caffeine intake (but not acute or intermittent caffeine intake) seemed to prolong muscle relaxation time, thereby counteracting much of creatine’s beneficial effects. The bottom line is, you might want to ease-up on coffee drinking while taking creatine.
Q: I have seen some new types of creatine on the market like “Creatine Ethyl Ester” and “di-Creatine Malate.” Are these different versions of creatine better?
A: Everyone seems to be looking for the “next generation” of creatine. (Sounds like a Star Trek episode!) But, they forget about the tons of research on creatine monohydrate. In dozens of studies, it has been shown to increase lean body mass, strength, and muscle size. In fact, creatine monohydrate is the most researched version in humans. I am unaware of any published clinical human studies on these other “new” creatine products that clearly show they are better than plain ‘ole creatine. While I don’t fault these companies for trying to be innovative, I personally think there are better ways to make creatine more effective.
It should come as no surprise that the U.S. creatine market has swelled past the $400 million mark…with no sign of slowing down. Based on that fact alone, I believe that every gym in America should be selling this extremely high-demand product. Listen, if your club is not selling creatine, I guarantee you are letting hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars walk out of your door every day. That’ll do for now. If you have any other questions, please email me directly at bandrews@aaefx.com and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Brian Andrews is President of All American EFX, a sports nutrition company. He can be contacted at 800.659.3406, or by email at bandrews@aaefx.com . You can download his new FREE book called CREATINE: Industry Insider Secrets Revealed at www.aaefx.com .
