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Creatine, discovered in 1832, has grown into a popular food supplement for athletes. Thousands of scientific studies have already been carried out into the way creatine supplements work. Among other things, creatine has been shown to help improve performance during explosive bursts of strength. In this blog we explain everything about using creatine and how much creatine a day you are best off taking.

What is creatine?

The word ‘creatine’ is derived from the Greek word for meat. Creatine is an organic compound that occurs naturally in vertebrates, above all in muscles and nerve cells. In us humans, creatine is stored mainly in the muscles, where it plays a part in the energy supply.

Creatine is formed in the liver & kidneys out of the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, of which only the last one is essential, which is to say that our body cannot produce it itself. Creatine also occurs in food in small amounts, only in meat, but it is popular as a supplement among athletes as well.

How creatine works: what does creatine do exactly?

During short, explosive efforts of a few seconds at most, such as sprints or weightlifting, our muscles draw their energy from the conversion of ATP into ADP. Because the ATP in our muscles is depleted quickly, it is important that the ADP can be converted back into ATP just as quickly. This is where creatine comes in, among other things. In the muscles, creatine is converted into creatine phosphate, which helps to produce ATP.

ATP can also be replenished through other energy systems, with the help of carbohydrates and fats, but that process takes far longer. For short efforts (think of the high jump, weightlifting and sprinting) creatine phosphate matters. Our muscles hold only a limited store of it, but that store can be enlarged by taking creatine.

What is creatine good for?

To benefit from the advantages of creatine, you need to take in at least 3 g of creatine a day. Creatine monohydrate from Vitarium is made especially for bodybuilders and serious athletes and is popular above all among athletes who perform high-intensity efforts. That is because creatine:

1. Increases physical performance during successive bursts of short, high-intensity exercise.

Because the energy system for explosive efforts is depleted after a few seconds on average, we cannot keep up explosive bursts of strength for long. By raising the creatine level in our muscles, physical performance can be raised as well.

A study in well-trained athletes, for instance, showed that sprint performance on the bike had improved by 15% after using a creatine supplement for 28 days.¹

2. Improves performance during explosive bursts of strength.

Strength athletes naturally want to see results from their efforts as quickly as possible, but building up through strength training is a long-haul process. With creatine you can improve performance during explosive bursts of strength more quickly.

One piece of research found that creatine supplementation while following a training programme raised strength by 8%, weightlifting performance by 14% and maximum effort on the bench press by as much as 43%, compared with a control group that followed the same training programme.²

3. Stimulates muscle growth during explosive bursts of strength.

Enough muscle mass allows us to grow old fit and healthy. On top of that, enough muscle mass has any number of (indirect) health advantages, such as a faster metabolism, better posture and a steadier blood sugar level.

Creatine is a good addition for anyone who wants to stimulate muscle growth through explosive bursts of strength. A 12-week study in weightlifters found muscle fibre growth two to three times higher in subjects who took creatine than in the control group.³

4. Taken daily, increases the effect of strength training on muscle strength in people over the age of 55.

As we grow older, much attention goes to the decline in bone mass, but it is far less widely known that muscle mass declines with age too. From about the age of 50 onwards you lose an average of 3% of your muscle mass every year. This can bring health risks such as a higher risk of falling and a higher risk of hospital admission, which can ultimately lead to a shorter life expectancy.^4,5

Enough exercise and a varied diet with enough protein intake are two of the most important factors in limiting the loss of muscle mass as we grow older. In addition, creatine, taken daily, can increase the effect of strength training on muscle strength in people over the age of 55. One study gave a daily dose of 5 g of creatine to 357 adults with an average age of 64. It showed that the participants who took creatine got more out of strength training than the control group.⁶

Pre-workout or post-workout? Do you take creatine before training or after?

There are different views on taking creatine before or after exercise. In principle it does not make much difference, as long as you do it on a daily basis. You can take it after your training session to top up the stores that run down while you train.

What do you take creatine with?

Creatine is tasteless and you can take it with water, but also with milk or juice. We always go for a pure creatine, so no flavours. That way you avoid taking in sweeteners, colourings and flavourings you do not need.

Creatine and protein

Alongside creatine, make sure you take in enough protein as well. Protein is crucial in building muscle mass and muscle strength. In the next blog you can read all about the importance of protein, protein powder (whey) and our recommendations. For the best result you can take creatine with a protein and carbohydrate shake.

Where is creatine found?

Half of the creatine in your body comes from dietary sources, the other half is produced by the liver and kidneys. Foods rich in creatine are:

1. Herring (1.1 g per 100 g)
2. Beef (0.9 g per 100 g)
3. Salmon (0.9 g per 100 g)
4. Pork (0.7 g per 100 g)
5. Lamb (0.5 g per 100 g)

So creatine really is found in animal sources only. And to take in a lot of creatine you would have to eat very large quantities of meat or fish. An easy way to take in more creatine is to go for a creatine supplement instead. Creatine supplements are, incidentally, made in a production laboratory, which makes creatine vegan.