Creatine is a non-essential amino acid derivative found in our bodies. The body naturally produces around 1g per day, which is mainly stored in skeletal muscle. The molecule may be fixed in its free form or in its phosphorylated form. In both cases, it serves as an energy substrate in specific situations.
Creatine, and more specifically its phosphorylated form, impacts stocks of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), our body's fuel. It meets urgent, very intense and brief energy needs. Unfortunately, our stocks are very limited.
Our reserves barely allow us to "burn" it for ten seconds or so. This substance is thus used to execute short, intense and powerful movements (sprinting, melee pushing, weightlifting...).
The aim of creatine intake is to maximize creatine reserves for greater muscular explosiveness. In everyday life, we already consume foods containing creatine.
However, the quantity absorbed is relatively negligible. For example, red meat and fish are the best sources of creatine, but contain only 3 to 10 g per kg.
For effective, precise supplementation, creatine is offered in "extrapure" form. This is a whitish powder marketed as such or packaged in capsules. It is most often creatine monohydrate. However, creatine ethyl ester is also available.
These two forms of creatine appear to have similar properties. However, the effects of creatine monohydrate are much better documented. We will therefore focus on creatine monohydrate in this article, and recommend it to you if you wish to consume it.
How effective is creatine intake?
Creatine has been attracting the attention of researchers for many years. Over the past two decades, several studies have been carried out to assess the efficacy of this type of supplementation. Experiments carried out in the laboratory and on sports fields confirm the benefits of creatine.
In general, creatine consumption has been shown to improve physical performance(1), particularly during exercise lasting less than 30 seconds. Taking this supplement increases muscle strength and also has a positive impact on recovery phases. The effects are most noticeable in the case of repeated efforts.
In resistance exercise, creatine provides the means toincrease training volume by increasing the number of repetitions for a given load, and especially by increasing the maximum load (MR) on strength exercises. It thus promotes muscle mass gain, but indirectly, by enabling you to push heavier loads.
In sprinting, whether swimming or running, the power boost provided by creatine monohydrate translates into better times.
Creatine is therefore particularly useful for bodybuilding and high-intensity sports. As a complement to whey isolate, this supplement can help you train more effectively beyond a certain level, improving your muscular capacities. It will have less effect on recovery and muscle synthesis. On the face of it, creatine is of little interest for amateur levels and endurance athletes.
Creatine is authorized and not on the doping list, but its use should be reserved for athletes who have already optimized the basic aspects of training, recovery and nutrition to the maximum. Creatine is used to "take your training to the next level".
It enables bodybuilders to develop their strength and lift heavier loads, while remaining within normal muscular capacities. This supplement will therefore improve mass gain, indirectly, by increasing training volume. For swimmers and runners, it will provide invaluable assistance in improving lap times.
All the experiments carried out highlight creatine's role in the energy chain. However, these positive results can only be observed if the product is dosed correctly. Sportsmen and women should therefore find out about the correct way to consume creatine.
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Note that the effects of creatine are visible after 5 to 7 days of regular supplementation, but the full benefits only appear after around 28 days of continuous intake.
How do I take creatine?
Although creatine is packaged to be easy to consume, taking this type of supplement will be relatively difficult to grasp. Unlike whey, depending on the protocol, the recommended dose may vary from day to day. For example, a loading phase may be necessary to saturate reserves as quickly as possible.
With regard to daily creatine dosage, some intake plans in the scientific literature suggest consuming 5 grams of creatine 4 times a day for the first 5 days (i.e. around 20 grams/day). Thereafter, the consumer will decrease to 0.03 grams per kg to maintain reserves. In this case, you can continue taking creatine for 4 weeks, at a maintenance dose.
It is also possible to skip the loading phase by consuming 3 to 5 grams a day. But in this case, saturation of reserves occurs more slowly. The athlete will only reach saturation after a full month.
On the subject of timing, many athletes ask us whether it's better to take creatine before or after exercise. It is commonly recommended to take creatine after exercise rather than before.
This suggestion is based on the idea that muscles, after being stressed, are in an optimal state to absorb and utilize creatine for recovery and growth. Thus, consuming creatine post-workout can maximize its benefits for muscle recovery and protein synthesis.
This product should therefore be consumed in courseslasting an average of 1 month. Specialists advise against taking it continuously throughout the year.
Note that creatine consumption leads to water retention of varying degrees. If used over several weeks, creatine will cause reversible weight gain, not linked to rapid muscle gain.
Scientists have also noted a positive interaction with insulin. The researchers therefore recommend accompanying each dose of creatine with a protein and carbohydrate intake to enhance its assimilation and beneficial effects. This suggests consumption linked to a meal, or a protein+carbohydrate shaker.
Technically, the time of intake has no bearing on the effects of this supplement on muscles. While whey is best taken post-workout, creatine's effects are not conditional on a particular intake, but are linked to the long-term aspect.
Does creatine have side effects?
Unlike whey, whether isolate, native or concentrated, commercial creatine is not a natural dietary supplement. It is obtained by chemical synthesis, from other amino acids. There is as yet no real communication on creatine manufacturing processes.
Numerous studies(2) have demonstrated thesafety of creatine. However, as creatine is an amino acid, it is not recommended for people suffering from kidney or liver disease.
Like whey, this substance is not harmful to the kidneys or liver, but an underlying disease requires medical advice. Indeed, a high-protein diet can aggravate pathologies affecting the kidneys or liver.
Some consumers also report nausea or digestive problems such as stomach ache or diarrhoea. There is no specific explanation for these side effects.
However, as is often the case with whey, these disappointments are regularly linked to the presence of additives or failure to respect the indicated dosage.
The same applies to cramps. These unexpected muscle contractures are often the result of an unsuitable training program. An increase in muscle creatine reserves does not particularly expose you to an increased risk of cramps or disorders affecting muscle contraction.
However, top athletes need to be careful about the composition of this supplement. As with other products designed for sports nutrition, creatine can be contaminated with steroids. Athletes should therefore opt for pharmaceutical-grade products with anti-doping certification.
Can creatine be combined with protein powder?
Creatine and protein powder are very different, but they have an interesting synergy. While creatine provides the means to train "harder", protein enhances the beneficial effects of workouts. Fortunately, there is no bad interaction between these two types of supplement.
In the case of whey, as a complete protein, it naturally contains other amino acids. Consuming it with creatine means assimilating an additional amino acid derivative. A high protein intake, combined with creatine consumption, will be all the more beneficial for muscle growth and high-intensity, high-level sports.
It should be remembered that while protein powders can be considered the nutritional foundation for amateur and professional sportsmen and women (as a complement to a balanced diet), creatine is more optional, better suited to optimizing the performance of professional sportsmen and women.
In any case, thewhey-creatine combination will only produce the desired effects if these supplements are consumed under the right conditions. Since we've already discussed creatine dosage, we'll focus on the quantity of protein to be consumed.
As a general rule, muscle-builders need 1.6-2 g/kg of protein per day to build muscle. However, the product should be dosed after taking into account the protein already provided by the diet and the specific characteristics of the product chosen(gainer, casein, whey isolate...).
Dietary supplements for athletes are not miracle products. Their effects depend above all on the activities practised. Consumers must practice a sport before taking creatine or protein powder, and not vice versa. It is also important to eat a varied and balanced diet.
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Conclusion:
Creatine is not a magic product, but it does have the beneficial effects we often hear about. This supplement improves physical performance by acting on the energy pathway. Creatine enables muscles to deploy sufficient energy during short, intense workouts.
On the question of when to take creatine, we've seen that it gives athletes more muscular explosiveness, which will be useful in training or high-intensity endurance sports (team sports, for example). When it comes to timing, regularity is more important than timing. Athletes can therefore take their creatine before going to bed or in the morning when they wake up.
This supplement is aimed at a wide range of professional and professional-like athletes, from body-builders and swimmers to footballers, rugby players and sprinters. It will not, a priori, be of any use to pure endurance sports enthusiasts. However, taking this supplement can be tricky.
Dosage can be complicated, and certain rules must be respected to enjoy its benefits. That said, this compound, although artificially synthesized, can be healthy and qualitative, depending on the quality chosen. It can also be combined with protein powders.
