Transcript Creatine

Creatine
Ms Mahindru
What is Creatine?
 Creatine is a naturally occurring amino
acid based substance that helps supply
energy to muscle and nerve cells
 We can synthesize creatine in the liver,
kidney, and pancreas
 It is also found in meat type foods like
steak, fish, pork, tuna, etc
 Vegetarians may have less creatine
Cont…
 Body stores most of the creatine in
skeletal muscle to use when you exercise
 Amount of creatine consumed from food
is minimal compared to the amount
needed to get the maximum benefit
 20 grams ~ 16-18 steaks
How does Creatine Work?
 Creatine in the form of phosphocreatine
is an important store of energy in muscle
cells
 Creatine is often taken by athletes as a
supplement for those wishing to gain
muscle mass
Cont…
 During intense exercise for half a minute,
phosphocreatine is broken down to creatine
and phosphate, and the energy released is
used to regenerate the primary source of
energy, ATP
 Extra creatine in the muscle may also increase
the rate of regeneration of phosphocreatine
following exercise, which should mean less
fatigue with repeated bursts of activity in
training or in many sport competitions
Benefits of Creatine
 Helps prevent against head injury
 Beneficial for neuromuscular disorders
Side effects of Creatine
 Pulls water into the muscle cells, ,
muscle injury, diarrhea, kidney failure,
and perhaps even death. Therefore,
other tissues may not be fully hydrated