Creatine is one of the most studied supplements available in Australia. A natural compound formed from glycine, arginine, and methionine, Cr is one of our body’s natural sources of energy; it has a key role in supporting muscle contractions, and, when taken as a supplement, it can improve athletic performance and increase muscle volume. Pretty much any gym goer in our country has, at some point, at least considered taking Cr for improving gym performance and shortening the recovery time between sets.
Cr is naturally produced by the body, particularly in your kidneys, liver and pancreas. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a direct amino acid, but rather it is synthesised from three of the most important ones for the internal functions of your body: arginine, glycine, and methionine. In the kidneys, arginine and glycine combine to make a non-proteinogenic amino acid called ornithine and guanidinoacetate, a metabolite that is later processed in the liver by the guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase enzyme.
In the liver, guanidinoacetate becomes Cr, which is then transported in the form of phosphocreatine mainly to the muscles and the brain. Does this sound a bit too complicated? Well, biology is complicated. What you should know, however, is that on average, your body only produces around one or two grams of Cr per day, maybe three with a proper diet. Your muscles, however, during high-intensity physical activities require more than that. Supplements like pure creatine from Creapure increase the phosphocreatine stored in your tissues, which in turn should increase your peak physical performance.
A Well-Studied and Widely-Available Supplement
Around 25% of Australian gym-goers utilise Cr products. The usage of creatine in Australia is on a steady increase, and that’s because, in recent years, Cr has transformed from a supplement mainly used for performance increases into a compound that has genuine benefits for our body’s internal systems. The science behind it is fascinating. In order to support physical activities, your muscles require adenosine triphosphate, which can be considered the main fuel source of the body.
ATP is a nucleoside triphosphate that captures chemical energy obtained from the breakdown process of food molecules. Its role is to release this energy and fuel other cellular processes. But here lies a problem. During high-intensity activities, your muscles use stored ATP in a matter of seconds, which is an issue, as you will therefore pretty much run out of energy. Cr donates a phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate, which in turn helps accelerate the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate.
A Strong Aid for Anabolism
Cr is not a steroid. It is a naturally formed compound found in our muscles that may reduce protein breakdown indirectly inside muscle fibres while also pulling water inside them, which increases volume. Cr is a natural buffer for the accumulation of lactic acid inside muscles, which, combined with the ATP benefits, results in genuine strength gains and faster recovery between sets. While at first your muscles will only look bigger, due to the increase in water retention, with time, this increased capacity to sustain more reps should lead to actual hypertrophy.
Plus, since phosphocreatine is stored in the brain, and your nervous cells also make use of ATP, there is a growing field of study that links the usage of supplements like pure creatine from Creapure with improvements in cognitive function. In fact, a pilot study conducted at KU showcased the potential of CR to boost cognition in Alzheimer’s patients. Supplementation with Cr leads to a 11% increase in brain creatine levels. This is substantial, as low brain CR is closely associated with various neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
How Should You Feel After Taking Pure Creatine from Creapure?
Well, the effects of taking Cr as a regular supplement will vary from one person to another. However, as a general rule, if you take supplements like pure creatine from Creapure for months on end, you should notice improvements in your total strength, as well as modifications in your post-workout recovery. I will use my experience as a baseline. The effects of Cr are not substantial, but are noticeable. In the end, we are not talking about an anabolic steroid. However, in the first few weeks after taking it, I started noticing a gradual increase in my maximum strength output.
Previously, the maximum dumbbell weight I was realistically able to manage was capped at 25kg. Anything more than that and I was unable to finish my reps. However, after taking Cr for a few weeks, I managed to increase my maximum strength by around 10%. Likewise, I’ve also noticed an increase in endurance. Before starting Cr, I was running 5 km at a pace of around 5:40 per km. But, after a month of using Cr, I managed to cut down this pace by around 20 seconds per km.
Sure, it’s not a dramatic change and perhaps most of these improvements can be attributed to an increased focus on routine. But I also noticed better muscle definition, especially in my quads, and I’ve also increased my biceps volume by 10%. For me at least, Cr definitely helped and I think it also had a positive effect on my mental sharpness, as I experienced less mental fatigue after intense exercise routines, something which previously was actually bothering me.
Were There Side Effects?
No, at least not in my case. The only thing I can think of was av sharp 2kg weight increase, which I believe was caused by water retention. When taken in recommended doses, creatine in Australia is safe, and it’s one of the best ways to support your body’s metabolic processes. Supplements such as pure creatine from Creapure benefit from decades of research behind them, and Cr, as things stand, show no serious long-term health risks for healthy adults.
The only thing that most people have to deal with is slight bloating and water retention. That said, with proper hydration, most of the minor side effects of Cr are negated. Plus, there is evidence that supports the correlation between Cr supplementation and cognitive improvements and when it comes to neurological side-effects, Cr, at worst, can give you a headache or some mild dizziness.
