Creatine has been extensively studied and found to be very safe and effective.
A daily dose of 3-5grams/day will saturate muscle cells with Phosphocreatine 100%.
This saturation has been found to effectively improve exercise performance, recovery, can improve lean muscle mass (most likely as harder training sessions can be achieved) and can increase strength.
However, Creatine has further benefits outside of those found in the gym. There are numerous positive impacts on brain function, including improving measures of age-related memory decline, improving depression and anxiety disorders as well as decreased recovery time for traumatic brain injury patients. Furthermore, creatine plays a protective role for potential concussion when consumed prophylactically.
Creatine can be taken in a supplement form or can be found in the following foods, in these amounts:
- Beef Steak (5grams/KG)
- Ground Beef (2.53grams/KG)
- Herring (6.5grams/KG)
- Chicken Thigh (2.51grams/KG)
- Chicken Breast (2.21grams/KG)
- Ground Pork (1.79grams/KG)
- Salmon (4.5grams/KG)
Creatine Loading
Creatine ‘loading’ is defined as supplementing with oral creatine for 5-7 days with a dosage of 20-25grams/day, often divided into smaller doses throughout the day (for example four to five, 5gram servings/day).
Creatine ‘loading’ may also be prescribed relation to body mass. For example, 0.3grams/KG/day for 5—7 days, (21grams/day for a 70KG individual).
*a common misconception regarding Creatine supplementation is that individuals must ‘load’ with Creatine to increase intramuscular Creatine stores and subsequently experience the purported ergogenic benefits of Creatine supplementation.
Lowered daily Creatine supplementation dosing strategies (for example 3-5grams/day) are well established throughout the scientific literature for increasing intramuscular Creatine stores leading to greater improvements in muscle mass, performance and recovery compared to placebo.
While effective, these non-loading Creatine dosing strategies delay maximum intramuscular Creatine storage. For example, in the classic ‘loading’ versus daily ‘maintenance’ dose comparison study by Hultman et al. Creatine accumulation is muscle was similar (approximately 20% increase) after participants consumed 3grams/day for 28 days or 20grams/day for 6 days.
Thus, it is currently recommended that individuals consume approximately 3.5grams/day of Creatine for minimum of 4 weeks in order to experience similar skeletal muscle saturation levels.
Athletes who are carrying out a Creatine loading phase (for example 20grams/day) should emphasise the smaller dosing strategies or less than or equal to 10grams/serving throughout the day. Dosages of greater than 10 grams may potentially lead to gastrointestinal distress.
To book in for a Nutrition or Functional Medicine review with Fiona, please call or WhatsApp the clinic on 0504233302.
