Creatine is an energy carrier that is naturally present in your muscles, brain and other organs. In muscles, creatine in the form of phosphorylcreatine acts as a reserve of high-energy phosphate to provide energy during anaerobic exercise by regenerating ADP to ATP. By increasing the rate of creatine phosphorylation, ammonia and lactate levels in the blood are lowered resulting in faster recovery from exercise. Creatine also promotes growth factor signaling and glycogen storage to support gains in muscle strength, size and other adaptive responses to training. Since creatine plays other vital roles within the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, it is essential for many aspects of health. Animal muscle – such as fresh meat and fish – contains significant amounts of creatine. Dairy products contain only small amounts. Since vegetables, grains, nuts and pulses do not contain creatine, vegetarians are more likely to have suboptimal levels than meat eaters. The recommended dose for creatine monohydrate is 3 - 5 grams per day. At this dosage, creatine levels in the body will typically rise for three or four weeks before leveling off. With this approach, a loading phase is not needed. Creatine may increase strength, fat free mass, and muscle morphology with concurrent heavy resistance training more than resistance training alone. It also may be of benefit in other modes of exercise such as high-intensity sprints or dynamic movements for improved performance.
