How is Creatine Proposed To Work? Does It Work?

• By vishwa on Nutrition

• February 28, 2013

Creatine is proposed to work in the following ways:

Muscle enhancement: It is theorized that the rate of fast twitch fiber hypertrophy is accelerated in the presence of supplemental creatine.

Strength/power enhancement: Creatine draws fluid into the muscle cell, increasing cell leverage, and increases the intra muscular stores of the energy substrate involved in muscular contraction—creatine.

In addition, there is also evidence that creatine increases the anaerobic and aerobic power enhancement.

Now, the important question—does creatine work?

There is more than adequate support for all the above findings. Not all human studies, however, have shown that creatine improves athletic performance. Also, every person doesn’t seem to respond the same way to creatine supplements. For example, people who tend to have naturally high stores of creatine in their muscles don’t get an energy-boosting effect from extra creatine. Remember, your body naturally produces creatine.

Serious strength trainers and dedicated athletes should consider using the supplement. Do you benefit from it? It is you who has to detect whether it is beneficial or not. Bear in mind that there is lot of money at a stake in marketing sports supplements. You may hardly find anyone who says that creatine doesn’t work.