The Ultimate Guide To Creatine Benefits

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound crucial in energy production, especially in muscle cells. It's popular among athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts for its potential to enhance physical performance and muscle growth.

Beyond its athletic benefits, creatine may also offer neurological and cognitive advantages, and it's being studied for its potential in various health conditions.

Our Infinite Mission is to bring creatine mainstream and help it earn its rightful place as a staple in a daily health routine.

This guide delves into the science behind creatine, exploring its benefits, usage, safety, and the latest research. Whether you're an athlete looking to boost your performance or someone curious about the broader health implications of creatine, this guide offers a detailed and evidence-based overview.

Improve Bone Density

Creatine supplementation may help counteract age-related skeletal muscle and bone mineral density declines.

Studies have shown that creatine, especially when combined with exercise and strength training, may increase bone mineral density, with effects observed in the femur of healthy growing rats and older, postmenopausal women.

Research: PMID: 31257405, PMID: 16222402, PMID: 20347591, PMID: 16222402, PMID: 31257405

Cognition Improvement

Creatine facilitates the recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle and brain tissue, potentially increasing cognitive performance. While the results vary, the most extensive study on this effect has shown a small beneficial impact of creatine on cognitive tasks, particularly in complex tasks requiring continuous performance.

Research: BMC Med 21, 440 (2023)

Stabilize Blood Sugar

Creatine supplementation, particularly when combined with exercise, may improve glucose metabolism in healthy individuals and those with insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes.

Creatine may stimulate insulin secretion, improve muscle glycogen stores, and facilitate hyperglycemia. The combination of creatine and exercise has been proposed to enhance glucose transport into muscle cells.

Research: PMID: 33572228

Supports Methylation

S-adenosylmethionine, the methyl donor in most biological methylations, is crucial for methylation processes. The methylation of guanidinoacetate to form creatine consumes more methyl groups than all other methylation reactions. Studies have shown that creatine supplementation can lower plasma homocysteine levels, suggesting a role in supporting methylation demands.

Research: PMID: 11595668

Boosts Performance

Creatine is well-known for enhancing physical performance. It increases power, strength, and muscle mass, benefiting athletes and non-athletes. This effect is particularly evident in high-intensity, short-duration activities like sprinting and weight lifting.

Injury Rehabilitation

Creatine monohydrate is being explored for its potential in medical rehabilitation, particularly for conditions affecting the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and nervous systems.

It has shown promise in mitigating muscle loss and improving muscle function in various acute and chronic conditions, aiding in rehabilitation from immobilization and injury, and neurodegenerative and cardiopulmonary diseases.

The literature suggests creatine's efficacy in preserving muscle mass, strength, and physical function, although more research is needed for conclusive results across different diseases and patient populations.

Research: PMID: 34472118

Neuroprotection

Creatine contributes to neuroprotection by reversing mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease patients, which decreases glutamate availability.

Clinical trials for Parkinson's disease have shown a 50% improvement in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

It's also being studied for its potential role in preventing or treating Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and depression.

Research: PMID: 14561278, PMID: 29704637, PMID: 29704637, PMID: 15650394

Energy Production

Creatine is an effective ergogenic aid for athletes, known for increasing anaerobic energy capacity by facilitating the recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the most basic form of energy in cells.

This is particularly beneficial during high-intensity exercise, improving performance and training adaptations. Creatine monohydrate (CrM) is also explored as a therapeutic tool in some chronic and traumatic diseases

Research: PMID: 22817979, PMID: 28615996, PMID: 33572884 

Prevent Muscle Wasting

Creatine supplements have been shown to prevent and reverse muscle wastage. It improves lean muscle mass and muscle function by altering mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagic lysosomal system (ALS).

Creatine prevents or reverses myostatin-induced muscle atrophy and is beneficial during periods of inactivity

Research: PMID: 15707376, PMC2779044

Cell Hydration

Creatine is a popular dietary supplement known for its ergogenic properties.

In addition to strength gains, research indicates that creatine supplementation may enhance post-exercise recovery, injury prevention, and rehabilitation, providing potential neurologic benefits relevant to sports.

It's well-tolerated in both healthy individuals and patient populations. 

Raises Anabolic Hormones

A study exploring the effect of acute creatine ingestion on human growth hormone (GH) secretion found that creatine enhances GH secretion.

This response mimics the effect of solid exercise, which also stimulates GH secretion and may contribute to the observed increase in body weight and strength following creatine supplementation.

Research: PMID: 17900900

Lower Myostatin

Myostatin is a regulator of skeletal muscle mass, and its decrease can lead to increased muscle mass.

A study examined the effects of 8 weeks of resistance training combined with creatine supplementation on muscle strength, lean body mass, and serum levels of myostatin and GASP-1.

The study found that resistance training significantly decreased serum myostatin levels, and this effect was further amplified by creatine supplementation, leading to greater muscle mass increases.

Research: PMID: 20026378

Boosts Performance

Creatine is highly regarded as a nutritional supplement for athletes, enhancing exercise performance and training adaptations. Research involving over 500 studies has shown that creatine supplementation can increase muscle physiology and exercise capacity in healthy, trained, and various diseased populations.

Approximately 70% of these studies report significant improvements in performance, including increased maximal power/strength, enhanced muscle contractions, and improved sprint performance.

Creatine supplementation during training also promotes greater gains in strength and fat-free mass, particularly in high-intensity exercise tasks.

Research: PMID: 12701815

Injury Rehabilitation

Creatine monohydrate is being explored for its potential in medical rehabilitation, particularly for conditions affecting the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and nervous systems.

It has shown promise in mitigating muscle loss and improving muscle function in various acute and chronic conditions, aiding in rehabilitation from immobilization and injury, as well as in neurodegenerative and cardiopulmonary diseases.

The literature suggests creatine's efficacy in preserving muscle mass, strength, and physical function, although more research is needed for conclusive results across different diseases and patient populations.

Research: PMID: 34071875

Enhances Muscle Recovery

Creatine can accelerate muscle repair and growth after exercise, helping muscles recover more quickly from intense workouts.

• Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth (Scoping Review): A scoping review was conducted to investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle growth in various populations. This comprehensive approach aimed to consolidate existing knowledge, providing a broader understanding of creatine's role in muscle development and recovery. Research: Link
  
  
• Creatine Supplementation Enhances Muscle Force Recovery After Eccentric Exercise-Induced Damage: A study published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) database explored the effects of creatine monohydrate on recovery following muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise. The study noted that creatine supplementation could aid in the recovery of muscle force, reduce soreness, and improve muscle function post-exercise damage. Research: Link

Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance

By increasing the availability of ATP, the primary energy molecule, creatine boosts performance in short-duration, high-intensity exercises.

• Creatine Supplementation and High-Intensity Exercise: Studies have consistently revealed that creatine supplementation positively affects single and multiple bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise activities.

• Creatine Supplementation: An Update: This study indicates that creatine is a popular ergogenic dietary supplement among athletes and is effective in increasing lean muscle mass and exercise capacity during short-duration, high-intensity exercise. DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000863
  
  
• Creatine Supplementation Enhances Muscular Performance During High-Intensity Resistance Exercise: This study investigates the influence of oral supplementation with creatine monohydrate on muscular performance during repeated high-intensity resistance exercises. DOI: 10.1016/S0002-8223 (97)00189-2
  
  
• Creatine Supplementation and Exercise Performance: Recent Findings: This paper reviews and evaluates findings associated with creatine supplementation and its effect on high-intensity, short-term exercise tasks. DOI: 10.2165/00007256-200535020-00002

• The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on High-Intensity Exercise Performance in Elite Performers: This research aims to determine whether creatine supplementation improves kayak ergometer performances of different durations. DOI: 10.1007/s004210050413.

Muscle Mass

Creatine supplementation is well-known for its effectiveness in increasing muscle mass. This is primarily due to creatine's role in enhancing energy production, reducing protein breakdown, and facilitating greater physical performance.

Here's a summary of relevant research studies:

• Creatine in Health and Disease: This study elaborates on the multifaceted mechanisms by which creatine exerts its beneficial effect. These include increasing anaerobic energy capacity and decreasing protein breakdown, leading to increased muscle mass and physical performance. PMID: 33572884
  
  
• Creatine Supplementation: An Update: Research consistently shows that creatine supplementation increases lean muscle mass, mainly when used with short-duration, high-intensity exercise. PMID: 34234088
  
  
• Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021: This scoping review aimed to consolidate current knowledge about the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle growth. It highlights that creatine is a popular ergogenic aid for improving sports performance and muscle growth, although its effectiveness may vary among different populations. DOI: 10.3390/nu14061255.
  
  
• The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training: A systematic review with a meta-analysis examined the combined effects of resistance training and creatine supplementation on muscle mass. The study specifically looked at regional changes in muscle mass with direct imaging measures of hypertrophy. DOI: 10.3390/nu15092116

Creatine Conclusion

Creatine stands out as a supplement with a broad spectrum of benefits, extending far beyond its well-known role in enhancing athletic performance and muscle growth.

Its potential impacts on cognitive function, neurological health, and overall well-being make it a subject of increasing interest in sports and medical communities.

As the world's most studied supplement, creatine belongs in everyone's health routine.