How and Why Fitness for your life | Creatine and Muscle Recovery

Muscle recovery can be sped up by taking creatine supplements before and after a hard workout and can hurry up muscle recovery, so says the latest research.

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It is primarily made from amino acids in the kidney and liver. The majority of creatine made is then transferred to the skeletal muscles. There is now good evidence that creatine can help muscles recover faster from injury. A recent study from Baylor College of Medicine revealed that inactive young male adults who took creatine supplements regularly increased their muscle strength much faster after performing a variety of exercises.

For many years, creatine has been available in natural health food stores. Reports about its ability to help muscles recover have existed for more than 2 decades and now there is another study to back the previous claims.

While many studies have looked at creatine as an energy supplement, primarily for athletes and body builders, this study looked at the effects of creatine on muscle damage and recovery rate. The study is published in the latest Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition.

The study looked at 14 non exercising males who used creatine and carbohydrates or carbohydrate by themselves for five days piror and 14 days after a tough workout. Water was encouraged during the study. The total dose of creatine per day was 21 grs which was taken after the workout.

The type of exercises performed included leg press, leg extension and leg flexion machines.  Each exercise was repeated at 120 percent of their 1-repetition maximum capacity.

After a period of 1, 2 3 and 4 days following completion of the exercises, the men who took creatine had lower reductions in their isometric knee extension strength than the men in the control group who only took carbohydrates.

The study also revealed had higher blood levels of creatine which persisted after exercise. Said the lead investigator of the study, “It is evident from the current study that creatine supplementation prior to, and during recovery from, an eccentric exercise training session, provides faster recovery in muscle strength.”

While the study is great news for athletes and bodybuilders, one should always understand that the study was sponsored by manufacturers of creatine. Until double blind controlled studies are available, it is hard to make any type of recommendation.

Published data and anecdotal reports indicate that perhaps 25-50 percent of professional sport athletes consume creatine on a regular basis.

Moreover, the numbers are even higher at the high school and college levels. Surveys of athletes in colleges indicate that creatine is used by amateur athletes in every sport including cycling, swimming, track, football, wrestling and so on.

Ten years ago, the creatine market was estimate at $200 million but it is believed to be a lot higher today. In 2000, the NCAA banned colleges from distribution creatine to its sports athletes.

In 1998, the creatine market in the United States was estimated at $200 million. In 2000, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banned colleges from distributing creatine to their players.

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