Do you think steroids are the only way to enhance muscle building? Think again. More and more athletes are using creatine and seem to be getting better and healthier results. But what is this stuff and what does it do to your body? Should adolescents use creatine to help boost their athletic performance? Or will the use of creatine hurt them in the long run?
What is creatine?
Creatine, it sounds like something from outerspace! Well, really, creatine is a protein and like all proteins, it is made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins, kind of similar to how letters make up a word. Proteins help build, maintain and replace tissues in your body. These tissues make up your muscle, organs and your immune system. Proteins, such as creatine, are found naturally in beef, chicken, soy or fish. Sorry, this list doesn't include candy, soda or french fries!
Anyway, you may know that athletes use creatine to lesson the buildup of lactic acid, so that their muscles can use energy more efficiently. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles when the muscle is exhausted and runs out of adequate levels of oxygen. It's the stuff that makes your muscles feel really tired and kind of ache. Lactic acid usually build up in your muscles during activities such as weight lifting or sprinting.
How does creatine effect the body?
Really, this stuff, creatine, the stuff that sounds like it's from outerspace, can actually help the body while performing in anaerobic activities (exercises that don't use oxygen in the production energy), such as the weight lifting and sprinting. It may also help in sports such as tennis and swimming.
Creatine may also increase muscle size. Maybe that's how Shrek got so big? Well, Shrek better be careful because the increase in muscle size is not due to an increase in muscle mass, but, instead it is due to an increase in water volume in the muscles. This is known as Muscle Volumizing.
Why is creatine bad for adolescents?
Just when creatine seems like an amazing supplement, we have to give you the bad news! Well, unfortunately, it's effects on adolescents are still unknown. Since no long term testing has been performed, creatine is not recommended for adolescents.
Additionally, most experts recommend creatine should not be taken until after puberty. This advice is based on the fact that the adolescent body needs to fully develop, naturally, on its own, first. Too often adolescents think that because they are taking creatine supplements, they can train really hard, but since the adolescent body isn't fully developed, over training puts too much stress on the skeletal system. For example, adolescents who lift too much weight, often incur injuries such as muscle tears or bone fractures. OUCH! So, to ensure that no short or long term damage is done to the body, it is highly recommended that adolescents not use creatine supplements until after the body reaches maturity.
So, why is creatine bad for athletes?
Although creatine keeps muscles hydrated, it does so by robbing water from the other tissues in our body. This, in turn, interferes with the body's way of keeping its temperature down, which can lead to heat exhaustion.
Another drawback involving creatine occurs when tiny undissolved creatine particles remain in the intestine. The undissolved creatine particles draw in water and cause intestinal cramps and diahrrea. Diahrrea is one of the leading causes of dehydration in the human body. Like all forms of dehydration, diahrrea depletes the body of essential electrolytes (important charged molecules that the body cannot function without). Additionally, dehydration, resulting from creatine, can cause muscle strains, cramps, and tears.
Lastly, while there really hasn't been many studies on the dangers of creatine to the kidneys, it is advised that diabetics stay away from creatine because of the potential for increased stress to the kidneys, which can result from too much protein.
What are some safer alternatives?
Are you worried that there aren't any ways for you to help improve your athletics? Well, you're in luck! There are plenty of healthy and safe alternatives to keep you at your physical best.
- First: Eat healthy. Proper nutrition and a balanced diet will ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs.
- - Two: Choose foods that naturally contain creatine. Foods such as chicken, lean beef, fish, and soy are rich in creatine and are easier to digest then a powdered supplement. Infact, even though eggs are high in cholesterol, they are actually one of the most digestable sources of protein around!
- Three: Choose foods with more proteins. All of the foods that are rich in creatine are also naturally rich in protein. Eating these foods will give you the protein your muscles need to develop properly.
Resources:
1. http://www.nucare.com/whatiscreata.html
2.http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net/