Creatine monohydrate is a very commonly used
sports
supplement in the modern world of
athletics. Some claim that users are
cheating, while others remark that it is perfectly natural.
Creatine is a naturally occuring substance that is already found in the muscles of the body, in certain levels, and is used to help turn adenosine diphosphate (ADP) into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Whenever muscles are used, the ATP is broken down into ADP and miscellaneous phosphates. As frequently occurs in the world of chemistry, the breakdown of a molecule causes a release of energy, which is used to power the muscle. Unfortunately, the human body only stores about 10-15 seconds worth of ATP at maximum exertion, and the ADP will not help in the creation of more energy. This is where creatine steps in. Creatine combines with natural phosphates in the muscles to form Creatine-Phosphate, then releases its phosphates back into the ADP to re-create ATP. This process is rather speedy, and occurs in the middle of a weight lifting routine.
So, how does extra creatine assist in the process? Well, the average human contains about 3.5 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle. However, the body has potential to store up to 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle. In other words, we have the ability to process approximately 35% more ATP than our bodies' status quo. Creatine also assists in the use of water in the ADP/ATP cycle, making the muscles "bulkier".
Dangers of creatine: To be quite honest, the dangers of using creatine in recommended doses have been so far shown to be nil. As with any substance, however, abuse can have serious side-effects. Dehydration, cramps, are only examples of some of the complications to the overdose.
To take creatine, most places will recommend doses of 25 grams per day, for six weeks, then 10 grams per day for two weeks, and repeat the cycle. However, I believe that this is entirely buckis. The improvement gains for a 25 gram user will increase much more readily than the 5 gram user, but over a period of three months, the 25 gram user plateaus meanwhile the 5 gram user continues to gain, showing consistantly better results in the weeks to follow. Not only that, but the 5 gram user has extra cash in the wallet, since creatine is not cheap.
My recommendation is to take 5 grams (a heaping teaspoon) full of creatine each day, stirred up in some lemonade or orange juice. This way, the extra grit of the creatine is not noticable, and you get the extra Vitamin C your body wants anyway. Creatine can be a very safe, and very effective supplement that speeds the increase of muscle mass, and recovery time.