what does creatine do?
Creatine, a naturally occurring amino acid derivative in the body, is composed of three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine.
Creatine is synthesized by the liver or ingested from food. It can rapidly increase muscle strength, accelerate recovery from fatigue, improve explosive power, and the more creatine is stored in the body, the greater the strength and athletic ability of the person.
The human body’s activities rely on ATP, adenosine triphosphate to provide energy, and ATP in the body’s stock is very small, exercise, ATP is quickly consumed, then creatine can quickly re-synthesize ATP to supply energy, which is also creatine can enhance the effect of sports performance of the main mechanism.
As a result, creatine plays a very important role in high-intensity exercise and other situations with high energy demands.
On top of this, research has identified many other benefits of creatine.
1.→ Helps muscle cells produce more energy
Creatine supplements increase muscle stores of creatine phosphate, which promotes the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
During exercise, ATP molecules are broken down to produce energy, but the rate at which ATP is regenerated can limit your ability to sustain high-intensity exercise.
2.→ Improvement of high-intensity exercise performance
Because of its direct effect on ATP production, creatine will greatly improve high-intensity exercise performance.
Creatine also improves many factors including strength, sprinting ability, muscular endurance, fatigue resistance, muscle mass, recovery and brain performance, and one review study found that creatine can improve high-intensity athletic performance by as much as 15%.
3.→ Accelerates Muscle Growth
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Creatine is the most effective muscle building supplement, and it takes only 5-7 days of taking creatine to significantly increase lean body mass and muscle size.
This initial growth is primarily caused by an increase in muscle water content, and long-term use of creatine promotes the growth of muscle fibers.
In a study of a 6-week training program, participants who used creatine gained significantly more muscle mass compared to a control group, gaining an average of 4.4 lbs (2 kg) more muscle mass per person.
4.→ Helps improve Parkinson
Parkinson’s disease is characterized by reduced levels of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter in the brain.
A significant drop in dopamine levels can lead to brain cell death, and a number of serious symptoms, including tremors, loss of muscle function, and speech disorders.
5.→ Fighting other neurological disorders
A key factor in several neurological diseases is a decrease in creatine phosphate in the brain.
Creatine can increase creatine phosphate levels, so it may help reduce or slow disease progression.
6.→ Lowering Blood Sugar Levels and Fighting Diabetes
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Studies have shown that creatine supplements can lower blood sugar levels by increasing the function of glucose transporter protein type 4 (GLUT-4), a molecule that carries blood sugar to the muscles.
7.→ Improving Brain Function
Creatine plays an important role in brain health and function, and the brain requires large amounts of ATP to perform difficult tasks.
Creatine increases phosphocreatine stores in the brain to help it produce more ATP, creatine also works by increasing dopamine levels and mitochondrial function, which can provide additional energy to the brain.
8.→ Can reduce feelings of fatigue
Creatine can reduce symptoms of fatigue and tiredness by providing your brain with extra energy and increasing dopamine levels.
