Creatine

From ArticleWorld

Creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid, naturally occurs in vertebrates and functions by supplying energy to muscle cells.

History

A French scientist by the name of Michel Eugene Chevreul discovered a component of skeletal muscle in 1832. He named it creatine after the Greek word for flesh, which is Kreas.

Researchers discovered, in 1912, that by ingesting creatine one could dramatically boost the content of it in his or her muscle and in the 1920s, researchers found that by ingesting creatine in larger-than-normal amounts the intramuscularly stores of creatine would increase dramatically. They also determined, at about this time, that creatine is a key factor in skeletal muscle metabolism.

Creatine and sports

Russians and residents of other Eastern Bloc countries first used creatine as a form of sports supplementation in the 1970s. It only recently came into the public view following the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, thanks in part to an August 1992 article in the London Times reporting that the gold medal winner at the 100 meters had used it prior to the Olympics. It was also reported that several medal-winning British rowers used creatine.

In 1993, EAS introduced the compound to sports nutrition via a product called Phosphagen.

Creatine monohydrate is the most used form of creatine, with $400 million in annual sales in the U.S. alone.

Use

Many manufacturers suggest that it be loaded into one’s body at high doses for the first few days and follow up lower, maintenance, doses. Some, however, suggest that the same effects can be reached using a consistent dosage of creatine.

Some researchers believe that taking carbohydrates with creatine will promote an increased creatine storage capability.