Benefits of Creatine for the body and mind

Health

That's right, in addition to the well-known benefits for the body, mental health also benefits from creatine. A natural supplement often used in athletic performance that is associated with improved brain function, the fight against certain neurological diseases and accelerated muscle growth. (1)

Benefícios da Creatina no corpo e para mente

What is creatine?

Creatine is a type of amino acid, which are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins help build muscles and bones and repair damaged tissue, among other things.

Creatine is a natural source of energy that helps skeletal muscles flex (contract). It helps create energy in the muscles so that they can keep working,

About half of your body's supply of creatine (1 to 2 grams/day) comes from your diet, especially from protein-rich foods such as:

Red meat (pork, veal and beef).

Seafood (fish and shellfish).

Animal milk (such as cow's, goat's and sheep's milk).

The other half is produced naturally by your body in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. They supply around 95% of creatine to skeletal muscles for use during physical activity. The rest goes to the heart, brain and other tissues.

There are also creatine supplements exist as:

Powders.

Tablets.

Capsules.

Liquids.

Energy bars.

Benefits of creatine

Reduces blood sugar levels and fights diabetes

A 12-week study examined how creatine affects blood sugar levels after a carbohydrate-rich meal. People who combined creatine and exercise exhibited better blood sugar control than those who only exercised

The short-term blood sugar response to a meal is an important marker of diabetes risk. The faster your body eliminates sugar from the blood, the better. (44).

Research suggests that creatine supplements can reduce blood sugar levels by increasing the function of the molecule that takes sugar from the blood to the muscles (40, 41, 42, 43).

Increases muscle mass

Taking creatine for just 5 to 7 days has been shown to significantly increase lean body weight and muscle size. Mind you, this initial increase is caused by increases in the water content of the muscles (15, 17).

In a 6-week training study, participants who used creatine added 2 kg more muscle mass on average than the control group (23).

Similarly, a comprehensive review demonstrated a clear increase in muscle mass among those taking creatine, compared to those without creatine (27).

In the long term, it also helps the growth of muscle fibers, i.e. actual muscle. (12, 13, 14, 15,).

There was also a comparison of the world's most popular sports supplements and the study concluded that creatine is the best available. Its advantages include being cheaper and much safer than most other sports supplements.

Muscle recovery

Many athletes, both amateur and professional, take creatine supplements to aid their training routines and improve recovery.

More energy

Creatine creates a "quick burst" of energy and increases strength, which improves your performance without affecting your ability to exercise for longer periods (aerobic endurance).

Most athletes who take creatine supplements participate in strength sports(7, 8, 9, 10)

Benefits for exercise performance.

In addition to recovery after intense exercise and increasing muscle mass. It also helps

Prevent serious muscle injuries or reduce the severity of muscle injuries.

Helps athletes tolerate more intense activities.
Reduce dehydration and cramps.
Minimize muscle tension, including muscle strains and pulls.
Reduces fatigue and tiredness

In a 6-month study of people with traumatic brain injury, creatine supplements reduced dizziness by 50%. And, only 10% of patients in the supplement group felt fatigued, compared to 80% in the control group (49).

Another study found that in sleep deprivation, creatine led to reduced fatigue and increased energy levels (50).

Similarly, creatine also reduced fatigue in athletes who performed cycling tests and decreased fatigue during exercise at high temperatures (51, 52).

It can help with Parkinson's disease

People with Parkinson's disease have reduced levels of dopamine, a key neurotransmitter in the brain. This reduced level causes brain cell death and a number of severe symptoms, including tremors, loss of muscle function and speech impairment.(8 28.)

Creatine has been associated with beneficial effects in rats with Parkinson's, preventing 90% of the typical drop in dopamine levels. (29).

Another analysis casts doubt on these improvements, but noted an improvement in scores on the Schwab & England Scale (an assessment of an individual's ability to function in activities of daily living).(33),

In a study of individuals with this disease, the combination of creatine with weight training improved strength and daily function to a greater extent than training alone. Remember that loss of muscle function and strength are characteristic of this disease. (32, 30, 31.).

Combating other neurological diseases

In several neurological diseases, a common factor is the reduction of phosphocreatine in the brain (29).

Since creatine can increase these levels, it means that it can help to reduce or slow down the progression of the disease.

In a study on rats with Huntington's disease, creatine restored the brain's phosphocreatine reserves to 72% of pre-disease levels, (34).

This restoration of phosphocreatine helped maintain daily function and reduced cell death by around 25%. Other animal research also suggests that taking creatine supplements can also treat other diseases, including (35, 36, 37, 38):

Alzheimer's disease
ischemic stroke
epilepsy
brain or spinal cord injuries

It also showed benefits against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects the motor neurons essential for movement. It improved motor function, reduced muscle loss and increased the survival rate by 17% (39).

More studies on humans are needed, but researchers have good expectations that the use of creatine supplements can serve as a defense against neurological diseases.

Improves brain function

Your brain requires a significant amount of ATP when performing difficult tasks, supplements can increase phosphocreatine stores in the brain to help it produce more ATP. Creatine can also help brain function by increasing dopamine levels and mitochondrial function (25, 45, 46).

For older individuals, creatine supplementation for 2 weeks significantly improved memory and recall capacity . In addition, creatine can increase brain function, protect against neurological diseases (47, 48).

Contributes to beauty

Creatine can help increase anabolic hormones, which contribute to tissue growth and repair. That's the tissues themselves. Anabolic hormones include insulin, human growth hormone (hGH), estrogen and testosterone. The latter three have been associated as beauty hormones (54.dermatology times)

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common type of creatine supplement?

The main difference between the types lies in the speed at which the particles are absorbed by the body, with micronized creatine being the fastest and monohydrate the slowest. It's important to note that the effectiveness of creatine is not related to its speed of absorption.

What happens when you stop taking creatine?

When you stop taking creatine, your creatine levels will gradually drop over the next few weeks. Your body will still produce creatine naturally, but you may experience side effects as you adjust to lower creatine levels. These side effects may include:

Fatigue.
Loss of muscle mass.
Weight loss.
A short-term decrease in natural creatine production.

Who should take creatine?

In addition to those who practice physical activity, people with:

Neurodegenerative diseases,
Diabetes.
Osteoarthritis.
Fibromyalgia.
Conditions that affect creatine metabolism.
Conditions that affect the way creatine is transported through the body.
Insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardial ischemia).

If you have any of these conditions, talk to your doctor first.

(Fonte)

What are the negative effects of creatine?

Creatine is a relatively safe supplement. However, side effects can include:

Weight gain due to water retention.

Dizziness.
Nausea and vomiting.
Diarrhea.
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).

If you develop any of these side effects after taking creatine, divide the amount you take every day into smaller doses. Take these smaller doses throughout the day, rather than all at once.

Is creatine safe?

Creatine has been researched for over 200 years, and numerous studies support its safety for long-term use. Clinical trials lasting up to 5 years report no adverse effects in healthy individuals.

What's more, supplementation is very easy - just take 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder a day (53).

However, there is not enough evidence to know whether it is safe for: