Read the answers to questions asked by Lucozade Sport visitors.
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Are there levels of creatine stored in the body?
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Creatine is among the most widely used supplements known to improve athletic performance.
It is a nonessential dietary compound, synthesised primarily in the liver, from three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine.
The estimated daily requirement of creatine is ~ 2 grams (g), approximately 1 g of which comes from the diet (meats, fish and other animal products), whereas the rest is provided from sources within the body.
Supplementation above this level, however, seems to increase power during anaerobic, short duration, high-intensity activities.
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Can you have too much creatine?
Creatine is traditionally supplemented via a loading protocol, where up to 20 g per day during 5 days is consumed, followed by a maintenance phase of 3-5 g/day.
More recently, creatine has been supplemented based on body mass with 0.07 g of creatine per kg body mass (g/kgBM) recommended. This recommendation is supported by the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA), and is based on the fact that many different sports have varying typical body masses.
Since around 95% of the body's creatine pool is found in muscles, the most effective dose for individuals will vary, as the amount from supplementation that body can store will mostly depend on individual muscle mass.
It is important to note that ~ 25% of athletes already have saturated creatine stores and would therefore be non-responders, whilst those deficient in creatine due to poor dietary intake or low internal stores (vegetarians) may benefit significantly.
To date, there appears to be no suitable evidence to support any adverse effects of creatine supplementation when consumed below or at the recommended dosages. However, if you are pregnant or suffer from kidney disorders you should consult your doctor before taking creatine.
Creatine has been linked with fluid retention and an increase in body mass (0.6 – 1.0 kg). As a result those athletes in weight classified sports should monitor this carefully during training.
Criteria for creatine ingestion:
Creatine is not a short cut to athletic success. It is a nutritional supplement designed to help athletes cope with the demands of an intense training schedule, in a similar way as ingesting a high carbohydrate diet, sports drinks, and/or carbohydrate loading to optimise performance.
The key criteria for using creatine include:
- The individual is past puberty and involved in sports that may benefit from creatine
- The individual is eating a well-balanced, performance-enhancing diet
- The individual (& support team) approve the use of creatine
- Creatine supplementation is supervised by trainers, coaches and/or doctors
- The recommended dosages are not exceeded
- The supplement is tested by an independent laboratory to assure its quality
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If you consume creatine for 3-6 months then stop, what happens?
After ceasing the consumption of creatine, it will take approximately one month for the body to ‘wash-out’. After which, the performance benefits attributed to the saturation of creatine stores within the body will effectively be lost.
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Is creatine used to increase size?
Supplementation with creatine can increase both the content of creatine and creatine phosphate within the muscle by ~ 20%. Consequently, creatine can increase an individual's ability to produce force ('strength'), regardless of sport, sex or age.
Creatine is most effective during sports or activities that involve repeated short bouts of high-intensity physical activity (up to 10 seconds), separated by short rest periods (30 seconds to 1 min).
This includes team, racket and power based sports that include the activities of sprinting, jumping, weight lifting and strength training.
The performance benefits in these parameters may be explained by the slightly higher creatine levels observed in type II (glycolytic) muscle fibres associated with strength, when compared with the more aerobic type I muscle fibres.
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Are all the Lucozade Sports Nutrition products suitable for vegetarians?
All Lucozade Sport products are suitable for vegetarians except for the vitamin and mineral pills.
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Are there any dietary issues that are associated with any of these products?
No, there are no dietary issues associated with Lucozade Sports Nutrition products.