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May 26, 2021

10 health and performance benefits of creatine

10 Gesundheits und Leistungsvorzüge von Kreatin

Creatine is a natural supplement that increases athletic performance. Not only is it safe and harmless, it is also one of the most popular supplements for building muscle and strength.

Here are 10 science-based benefits of creatine.

1. creatine helps muscles produce more energy

Creatine supplements increase the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles (1). Phosphocreatine helps create new ATP, the key molecule your cells need for energy and all the basic functions of life.

During exercise, ATP is broken down for energy and the rate of AT resynthesis limits your ability to exercise continuously at maximum intensity as you use ATP faster than your body can restore it (2).

Creatine supplements increase your phosphocreatine stores, which allows you to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during high-intensity exercise (3). This is the primary mechanism behind creatine's performance-enhancing effects.

Summary: Supplementing with creatine provides additional ATP energy, which improves your high-intensity exercise performance.

2. creatine supports many other functions of your muscles

Creatine is a popular supplement for building muscle mass. It can alter numerous cellular pathways that lead to new muscle growth. For example, it increases the production of proteins that form new muscle fibers (4, 6).

It can also increase IGF-1 levels - a growth factor that promotes an increase in muscle mass (6).

In addition, creatine can increase the water content of your muscles. This is known as cell volumization and can rapidly increase the size of your muscles (7).

In addition to this, some research suggests that creatine reduces myostatin levels. Myostatin is a molecule that is responsible for inhibiting muscle growth. Lowering myostatin levels can help you build muscle faster (8). Summary: Creatine can stimulate several biological processes that can lead to increased muscle growth.

3. creatine increases high-intensity exercise performance

Creatine's direct role in ATP production means that it can dramatically increase high-intensity exercise performance (9).

Creatine improves numerous factors, which include the following:

  • Strength
  • Ballistic power
  • Sprinting ability
  • Muscle endurance
  • Resistance to fatigue
  • Muscle mass
  • regeneration
  • Brain performance

Unlike other supplements that only provide benefits to advanced athletes, creatine provides benefits regardless of fitness level (10).

A study review also concluded that creatine can increase high-intensity exercise performance by up to 15% (9).

Summary: Creatine is the most effective supplement for high-intensity sports. It provides benefits regardless of fitness level.

4 Creatine accelerates muscle growth

Creatine is the most effective supplement for building muscle mass (11). It has been shown to significantly increase lean muscle mass and weight from as little as 5 to 7 days of supplementation.

This initial increase is caused by an increase in water content in the muscle (12). In the longer term, this also supports the growth of muscle fibers via key biological pathways and increases performance in the gym (13, 14).

In a study involving a six-week training program, subjects using creatine were able to gain an average of 2 kilos more muscle mass than the control group (14). A comprehensive study review also showed clear gains in muscle mass in those who used creatine, which were greater than those in the control group who completed the same training program without creatine (11).

The review also compared the most popular muscle-building supplements and concluded that creatine is the best of all supplements available on the market. Its benefits include being less expensive and far safer than most other supplements (11).

Summary: Creatine can increase both short-term and long-term muscle mass. It is the most effective muscle building supplement available on the market.

5 Creatine could help with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's is a disease characterized by a reduction of the key neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. This severe reduction in dopamine levels leads to brain cell death and several serious symptoms including tremors, loss of muscle function and impaired speech.

Creatine has been associated with beneficial effects in Parkinson's disease in mice and was able to prevent 90% of the drop in dopamine levels (15).

In an attempt to prevent the loss of muscle function and strength associated with Parkinson's, Parkinson's patients often perform weight training. In one study, creatine combined with weights training improved strength and daily function in Parkinson's patients to a greater extent than exercise alone (16).

However, a recent analysis of five controlled trials of Parkinson's patients did not significantly improve daily activities when taking 4 to 10 grams of creatine per day (17). Summary: Creatine may reduce some symptoms of Parkinson's by improving strength and muscle function. However, certain studies have not observed any effects.

6 Creatine may combat other neurological diseases

Reducing phosphocreatine levels in the brain is a key factor in several neurological diseases. Since creatine can increase these levels, it could help slow the progression of these diseases.

In mice with Huntington's disease, creatine was able to increase brain phosphocreatine levels to 72% of pre-disease levels, while the levels of mice in the control group were only 26% of normal in healthy animals (18).

This restoration of phosphocreatine levels in the brain helped to maintain daily function and reduced cell death by 25% (18).

Animal studies suggest that creatine supplements may also treat other diseases including the following (19, 20, 21, 22):

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Ischemic stroke
  • Epilepsy
  • Injuries to the brain or spinal cord

Creatine has also been shown to help treat ALS - a disease that affects the motor neurons essential for movement. It improved motor function, reduced muscle loss and increased survival by 17% (23).

Although further human studies are needed, many scientists believe that creatine supplements may provide relief from neurological disorders when used in conjunction with conventional medications.

Summary: Animal studies show that creatine may help with symptoms, disease progression and prolongation of life expectancy in neurological diseases.

7 Creatine could lower blood sugar levels and fight diabetes

Scientific research suggests that creatine supplements may lower blood sugar levels by improving the function of GLUT 4 - a transport molecule that transports blood sugar to the muscles (24, 25).

A twelve-week study investigated how creatine affects blood glucose levels after a high-carbohydrate meal. People who combined creatine and exercise were better at controlling blood glucose levels than those who exercised alone (26).

The short-term blood glucose response to a meal is an important marker of diabetes risk. The faster the body removes sugar from the blood, the better.

Although these benefits are promising, further human studies are needed on the long-term effects of creatine on blood glucose control and diabetes.

Summary: Some evidence suggests that creatine may help lower blood glucose levels after meals, but there is little data on the long-term effects.

8 Creatine may improve brain function

Creatine plays an important role in brain health and function (27). Scientific research shows that the brain requires significant amounts of ATP when performing difficult tasks (27).

Creatine supplements can increase phosphocreatine levels in the brain to help produce more ATP. Creatine may also support brain function by increasing dopamine levels and improving mitochondrial function (28, 29).

Since meat is the best food source of creatine, vegetarians often have low levels. A study conducted with vegetarians found that creatine supplements improved scores on some memory and intelligence tests by 20 to 50% (27).

In older individuals, two weeks of creatine supplementation significantly improved memory performance (30). In older people, creatine could improve brain function, protect against neurological diseases and reduce age-related loss of muscle and strength (31).

Despite such positive results, further studies are needed with young, healthy individuals who regularly eat meat or fish.

Summary: Supplementation with creatine could provide the brain with additional energy and thereby improve memory and intelligence in people with low creatine levels.

9. creatine could reduce fatigue and tiredness

Creatine supplements may also reduce fatigue and tiredness (32).

In a six-month study of people with traumatic brain injuries, those who supplemented creatine experienced a 50% reduction in drowsiness compared to the control group (32).

In addition, only 10% of patients in the creatine group experienced fatigue - compared to 80% in the control group (32).

Another study found that creatine reduced fatigue and increased energy levels during sleep deprivation (33).

Creatine has also been shown to reduce fatigue in athletes completing an endurance test on an ergometer and has also been used to reduce fatigue during exercise in high heat (34, 35).

Summary: Creatine can reduce symptoms of fatigue and tiredness by providing your brain with extra energy and increasing dopamine levels.

10: Creatine is safe and easy to use

Along with its numerous benefits, creatine is also one of the most popular and safest supplements on the market.

Creatine has been studied for 200 years and numerous studies support its long-term safety. Clinical studies lasting up to 5 years have reported no serious side effects in healthy individuals (36).

In addition, supplementation is very simple - just take 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder per day (37).

Summary: Creatine is one of the safest supplements available and has been studied for over two centuries.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, creatine is an effective supplement with powerful benefits for athletic performance and health.

It can improve brain function, combat certain neurological diseases, improve exercise performance and accelerate muscle growth.

Try adding creatine to your supplement program and see if it works for you.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11851597
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2780977/
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7572228
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1765242
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8098459
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143906/
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8098459
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20026378
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701815
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1158155
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12433852
  12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155510/
  13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143906/
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10408330
  15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10222117
  16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17312085
  17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5457735/
  18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11274790
  19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1510941/
  20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16773141
  21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19393274
  22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12185606
  23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10086395
  24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11445755
  25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11147785
  26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17396216
  27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691485/
  28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10484486
  29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10759600
  30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17828627
  31. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4304302/
  32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053002
  33. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16416332
  34. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18039377
  35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18826587
  36. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048496/
  37. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8899067

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-creatine#section3

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