Impact of Supplementing the Diet with Extra Creatine :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Proffesor’s comment: I was very pleased by how thoroughly this student delved into the topic of creatine supplementation for this literature review. His initial draft was organized in a way that indicated he had control of the material and was able to put it together logically . He showed a strong sense of his audience’s needs by grouping the results of the research articles under clear topics. Introduction The human body uses creatine phosphate to produce ATP, the primary energy supply for working muscles. Creatine phosphate is formed through an enzymatic process from creatine, which is composed of the amino acids arginine, methionine, and glycine. Creatine is produced primarily in the liver, but may also be made in the pancreas and kidneys. Humans both metabolize and synthesize approximately two grams of creatine a day, therefore maintaining homeostasis. Creatine can also be consumed in certain foods. The richest sources are found in animal proteins such as red meat and fish. However, concentrations in these foods are relatively low: one pound of red meat contains about two grams of creatine. Researchers have found that supplementing the diet with extra creatine, beyond what the majority of people ingest from their everyday diets, can produce significant effects. Creatine supplementation can have potential benefits on body composition, athletic performance, and disease conditions. However, an optimal protocol for supplementing creatine has not yet been discovered. Creatine supplementation has sound possible short and long term side effects. A greater overall understanding of creatine supplementation will aid individuals and physicians to make better informed decisions about whether or not to use creatine supplements. Benefits Creatine has dramatic effects on body composition. Subjects who supplemented with creatine increased total body mass and fat-free mass while fat mass remained constant (Kreider et al., 1998; Grindstaff et al., 1997; Volek et al., 1997). Three mechanisms are responsible for this change. First, consuming excess creatine results in greater intramuscular creatine stores (Casey et al., 1996). Water accompanies this excess creatine into muscle cells. Thus, more water can be stored within the muscle. Second, protein synthesis may be enhanced due to the increased muscle cell volume. This enhancement may lead to accumulation of protein within the muscle fiber. Finally, since creatine phosphate produces ATP, the amount of energy stored within the muscle is increased (Casey et al., 1996). This increase may lead to an enhanced capacity for workouts that use ATP as the primary energy source, such as short duration, intense muscle contractions as in weight lifting.