Creatine

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a physiological energy carrier. It enables the building of lean muscle mass and an enormous increase in strength in just a few weeks. The performance-enhancing effect has been proven in studies and is not considered doping, as confirmed by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).
It not only promotes muscle growth but also benefits the skin and other cellular structures.
For this reason, creatine supplementation is standard practice for elite, professional, and amateur athletes.

Dosage schedule for a creatine cycle:

Days 1–7:
Take 20 g per day, divided into six individual doses of 5 g each (= one heaped teaspoon). The single serving should be stirred into 0.5 l of water or fruit juice. To ensure optimal creatine absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, it is important to drink sufficient fluids when taking it. Do not fall below the specified amount of fluid.
The individual portions should be spread evenly throughout the day, and taking it with meals should be avoided.

From day 8 onwards: Take 3–5g of creatine monohydrate (preferably Creapure) daily and consistently.
TIP: You should ensure that you drink plenty of water (min. 4 liters to max. 6 liters) throughout the entire cycle.
Since creatine draws water from the body's cells, this deficit must be compensated for.

Performance enhancement and muscle building with creatine: What is the truth behind it?

Creatine has long been known as a dietary supplement for enhancing sports performance and promoting muscle growth. This organic acid is found in meat and fish and is synthesized in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from the amino acids glycine, Arginine and methionine. Since creatine is significantly involved in supplying muscles with energy, supplementing with pure creatine in addition to natural intake can increase success in strength and endurance training. Creatine intake also promotes muscle retention during a dieting phase.

How does creatine work?

For muscles, nerve functions, and metabolism to work, the body needs energy, which it derives from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Energy is released by splitting off a phosphate, and the ATP becomes energy-reduced adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creatine provides a phosphoryl group that converts ADP back into ATP. This increases muscle endurance and allows for more intense training sessions. Higher short-term performance is particularly desirable in weightlifting or sprinting. At the same time, creatine reduces cell damage and supports regeneration and muscle building after exercise. Marathon runners and endurance athletes therefore also benefit from taking creatine.

Creatine application and side effects

Creatine is classically taken as creatine monohydrate in powder form. Measurable training successes can be achieved with a dosage of about 5g per day. However, many athletes also take 10–20g in several doses spread throughout the day during a multi-day loading phase. For optimal effect, creatine should be consumed shortly before or after training.

A waste product that is created during the breakdown of creatine is so-called creatinine. For a long time, it was speculated that too much creatine could damage the kidneys through the formation of creatinine. Although an elevated creatinine level is indeed a sign of stress on the kidneys, this is by no means a concern in connection with creatine. An elevated creatinine level is generally a sign that the body is "processing" the creatine. Nevertheless, creatine supplementation is considered risk-free by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

No other health-related side effects that argue against taking creatine are known. However, a few people complain of digestive or stomach problems, bloating, and intolerances. For this reason, there are other creatine supplements on the market besides monohydrate, such as creatine HCL or Kre-Alkalyn, which are just as effective even in smaller doses.

What are creatine HCL and Kre-Alkalyn? Do these two forms of creatine really have an advantage over monohydrate?

HCL stands for hydrochloride. Hydrochlorides are salts that form organic bases with hydrochloric acid. Compounds with these salts possess higher water solubility and bioavailability – meaning the body can absorb them faster and more efficiently. Consequently, a smaller amount of HCL creatine (about 1.25–2.5g) is sufficient to achieve the same performance results as 5g of creatine monohydrate. The risk of side effects like water retention or nausea is reduced due to the smaller dose. Creatine HCL is available in both powder and capsule form, though you pay a bit more than for creatine monohydrate.

In addition to HCL creatine, there is Kre-Alkalyn (short for creatine alkalyn). With this preparation, which is taken almost exclusively as a capsule, the creatine is buffered with sodium. This also prevents water retention.

In addition to HCL creatine, there is Kre-Alkalyn (short for creatine alkalyn). With this preparation, which is taken almost exclusively as a capsule, the creatine is buffered with sodium. In addition to HCL creatine, there is Kre-Alkalyn (short for creatine alkalyn). With this preparation, which is taken almost exclusively as a capsule, the creatine is buffered with sodium.

Does creatine make sense during a diet?

During a diet, the goal is to lose as much fat as possible while losing as little muscle mass as possible. A change in diet should therefore always be accompanied by exercise and regular physical activity. Otherwise, you lose muscle tone and the general energy expenditure drops – because muscles consume the most energy in the body.

Many people reduce or even completely cut out carbohydrates during their diet. Together with a calorie deficit, this can lead to feeling sluggish and weak, and training performance decreases. Creatine during a diet can counteract this drop in performance and allow for more intense training sessions. Taking creatine therefore makes a lot of sense, even if the primary focus is not on muscle building but on muscle retention. During a diet, you should definitely choose creatine HCL or Kre-Alkalyn to avoid fluctuations on the scale due to water retention.

Anyone who exercises regularly and wants to improve their training results or build muscle is on the right track with creatine. With this organic acid, both short-term performance enhancement in strength training and faster regeneration in, for example, endurance sports are possible. During a diet, creatine counteracts the drop in performance caused by the carbohydrate and calorie deficit typical of a diet and ensures muscle retention.

Conclusion on the sensible use of creatine

Creatine is most commonly taken as creatine monohydrate in powder form. About 5g per day is sufficient to achieve a measurable increase in strength. Although creatine intake is considered safe, some people experience stomach problems or water retention even at this dosage. While preparations like HCL creatine or Kre-Alkalyn are somewhat more expensive than creatine monohydrate, only half the amount (approx. 1.25–2.5g as a capsule or powder) is needed to achieve comparable training results.