WhiteDog
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Creatine - the "safe steroid" - is a legal food supplement taken by a growing band of sports people. But, in spite of its ability to help muscles work harder for longer, creatine is banned in France because of fears that it causes cancer, while recent research from the University of Florida suggests overuse may trigger muscle cramps and kidney problems.
Creatine is an amino acid found naturally in foods such as beef and cod; the average adult eats about 1g a day. It can also be made in the liver from where it is transported to and stored in the muscles. These stores of approximately 120mg of creatine are used for the production of short, sharp fuel supplies to the muscles - allowing all-out exertion such as sprinting at top speed for eight to 10 seconds.
Increasing natural sources of creatine from 1g a day in food to 2- 3g via supplements is designed to boost muscle stores and allow more of these rapid bursts of activity. It is also claimed to speed up recovery of the muscles and allow more intensive training schedules.
But what of the safety concerns? Jane Griffin, a sports dietitian and consultant nutritionist to the British Olympic Association, is dismissive of the French claims, stating categorically that "creatine definitely does not cause cancer". As for muscle cramps, it is suggested by Professor Michael Powers of the University of Florida that these are caused because creatine leads to a water imbalance in the body by encouraging muscles to take up more water, thereby increasing the risk of dehydration.
Griffin is sceptical. "This is possible in those individuals who do not take in fluids very well. The answer for them is simply to drink a lot more water before, during and after training and competition if taking creatine."
And what of creatine's alleged link with kidney problems? Paul Greenhaff, of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nottingham, an expert on creatine, says: "Only in people who have underlying kidney disorders could it be even a potential problem." Greenhaff goes on to say that creatine "may be helpful to those with diabetes by helping to provide a steady stream of sugar into the blood."
There is one side effect of creatine supplementation, however, which seems likely to limit its uses to the serious athlete. As Griffin explains: "Weight gain is inevitable when taking creatine supplements. At first, this is because the muscle stores more water but then, because you are able to train harder, you build muscle. For Joanna Bloggs, who goes to the gym to trim weight, creatine is not the answer." Unless, of course, you aspire to look like tennis player Mary Pierce. Women's tennis is certainly faster and stronger these days, incorporating frighteningly fast serves and power.
Whether you prefer the powerful Pierce or the creatine-free Chris Evert game, this performance-enhancing supplement seems sure to court continuing controversy among researchers, official bodies and the sporting elite.
by AMANDA URSELL
The Daily Telegraph, 08/15/2001, p. 16
Creatine is an amino acid found naturally in foods such as beef and cod; the average adult eats about 1g a day. It can also be made in the liver from where it is transported to and stored in the muscles. These stores of approximately 120mg of creatine are used for the production of short, sharp fuel supplies to the muscles - allowing all-out exertion such as sprinting at top speed for eight to 10 seconds.
Increasing natural sources of creatine from 1g a day in food to 2- 3g via supplements is designed to boost muscle stores and allow more of these rapid bursts of activity. It is also claimed to speed up recovery of the muscles and allow more intensive training schedules.
But what of the safety concerns? Jane Griffin, a sports dietitian and consultant nutritionist to the British Olympic Association, is dismissive of the French claims, stating categorically that "creatine definitely does not cause cancer". As for muscle cramps, it is suggested by Professor Michael Powers of the University of Florida that these are caused because creatine leads to a water imbalance in the body by encouraging muscles to take up more water, thereby increasing the risk of dehydration.
Griffin is sceptical. "This is possible in those individuals who do not take in fluids very well. The answer for them is simply to drink a lot more water before, during and after training and competition if taking creatine."
And what of creatine's alleged link with kidney problems? Paul Greenhaff, of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nottingham, an expert on creatine, says: "Only in people who have underlying kidney disorders could it be even a potential problem." Greenhaff goes on to say that creatine "may be helpful to those with diabetes by helping to provide a steady stream of sugar into the blood."
There is one side effect of creatine supplementation, however, which seems likely to limit its uses to the serious athlete. As Griffin explains: "Weight gain is inevitable when taking creatine supplements. At first, this is because the muscle stores more water but then, because you are able to train harder, you build muscle. For Joanna Bloggs, who goes to the gym to trim weight, creatine is not the answer." Unless, of course, you aspire to look like tennis player Mary Pierce. Women's tennis is certainly faster and stronger these days, incorporating frighteningly fast serves and power.
Whether you prefer the powerful Pierce or the creatine-free Chris Evert game, this performance-enhancing supplement seems sure to court continuing controversy among researchers, official bodies and the sporting elite.
by AMANDA URSELL
The Daily Telegraph, 08/15/2001, p. 16
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Roger that!! And I will, thanks.
