DeltaWave
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What is Creatine?
Creatine is an endogenously-produced, nitrogenous, tripeptide, organic compound. The majority of creatine is found in skeletal muscle, and the remainder in organs
How does Creatine work?
Synthesis first takes place in the kidneys, where arginine and glycine are converted by the AGAT enzyme to produce guanidinoacetate (glycocyamine/GAA) and L-ornithine. This metabolite is then transported to the liver, where a methyl group is donated from methionine by the GAMT enzyme, which results with the formation of non-phosphorylated creatine. It is then released into the blood stream and travels to several organs and muscle cells; the majority of which (95%) going to the latter. Once it reaches the muscle cells, the enzyme known as creatine kinase, which acts as a catalyst, will convert the creatine into creatine phosphate and ADP (adenosine diphosphate) by utilising ATP (adenosine triphosphate).This process is reversible.
Basically what this means is it can act as a reservoir or backup for your ATP supply and can resynthesise when necessary. This is also a crucial point due to the fact your body can only produce a limited amount of ATP daily.
(Side note: AGAT activity may occur in the liver, or both kidneys and liver.)
The reaction would look something like this:
Creatine Phosphate + Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) ⇌ Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) + Creatine
or
C[SUB]4[/SUB]H[SUB]10[/SUB]N[SUB]3[/SUB]O[SUB]5[/SUB]P + C[SUB]10[/SUB]H[SUB]15[/SUB]N[SUB]5[/SUB]O[SUB]10[/SUB]P[SUB]2[/SUB] ⇌ C[SUB]10[/SUB]H[SUB]16[/SUB]N[SUB]5[/SUB]O[SUB]13[/SUB]P[SUB]3 [/SUB]+ C[SUB]4[/SUB]H[SUB]9[/SUB]N[SUB]3[/SUB]O[SUB]2[/SUB]
Types of Creatine
Currently, the most popular and broadly-researched creatine is monohydrate. However, manufacturers of the supplement have started to develop and refine alternate and possibly more effective creatine forms. Many of the newer forms are conjugate; which have been reported to alter certain creatine properties: absorption rate, solubility, bioavailability, composition, efficacy, side effects etc.
Most common/well researched
Creatine Monohydrate (water molecule attached)
Creatine Hydrochloride (highly soluble, possibly absorbed better/reduction in side effects)
Creatine Phosphate (phosphoric acid attached)
Micronised Creatine (micronised creatine monohydrate)
Creatine Ethyl Ester (ester attached)*
Less common/moderately researched
Buffered Creatine (known as Creatine Kre-Alkalyn or Creatine Magnesium Chelate; these are creatine and magnesium combined)
Di/Tri Creatine Malate (malic acid molecule attached, along with two or three monohydrate molecules respectively)
Least common/little to no research
Creatine Anhydrous (water removed and higher purity)
Creatine Serum (creatine in liquid)
Effervescent Creatine (carbonated creatine mixed with sugar or sodium)
Creatine Citrate (citric acid attached)
Creatine Gluconate (gluconic acid attached)
Creatine Nitrate (nitric acid attached)
Creatine Decanate (decanoic acid attached)
Creatine Orotate (orotic acid molecule attached)
Creatine Pyruvate (pyruvic acid attached)
Creatine Taurinate (aminoethanesulfonic acid attached)
Creatine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (alpha-ketoglutaric acid attached)
Creatine Pyroglutamate (pyroglutamic acid attached)
Positive & Negative Effects
Common (Positive)
Uncommon (Positive)
Common (Negative)
Uncommon (Negative)
There was very little condemning evidence for this section.
Mythical Effects (check all)
Can it interact with other drugs?
Creatine can interact with a variety of medications; for example: anti-bacterial/viral/inflammatory, antacids, and diuretics.
With some medications it can increase the amount of serum creatinine - which could indicate less creatine absorbed.
Here is a list of known medications that interact with creatine:
Can you build up a tolerance, and should you cycle it?
No, this is just a myth. Tolerance and/or absorption of creatine may be affected by hyperthyroidism. Studies have shown that both T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) can affect CK serum levels, causing them to become inverted factors to the hormones serum levels.
Cycling is unnecessary. With the right diet creatine may be unnecessary altogether.
One personal point I want to make here. Even though the general consensus will conclude that creatine supplementation cycling is unnecessary, as stated above, I believe it should. This is because any drug is capable of producing negative side effects when taken for an extended period. You may also be a non-responder without realising it, which could indicate that any further supplementation is futile. You should also pay attention to your physical/psychological state and be aware of any oddities if cycling.
Effects on the kidneys
Creatine supplementation, increased muscle mass, consumption of cooked meat, age, ethnicity, gender: all can increase serum/plasma blood creatinine levels. This can produce a false positive and prove to be an inaccurate marker for damaged kidney/renal function. A more accurate filtration marker for kidney function is Cystatin C, which is being considered as a replacement to creatinine, which is discussed in this article - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2390952/
Recommended Dose
The general consensus for the most popular creatine (monohydrate creatine) is 5g/daily, with an initial loading phase of 20g/daily for 1-2 weeks prior. Increasing the daily dosage after the initial loading phase (for example: 10g instead of 5g) may assist certain individuals, however, for the majority it is unnecessary.
There are varying recommended dosages for Creatine forms. For Creatine HCL, the recommended dose can be between 750mg to 3g daily.
Check with the provider/distributor or look at recommended dosages online.
Who should use it?
The degree of assistance creatine supplementation can vary. It is often most effective in people lacking dietary creatine, for example: vegetarians or vegans, and individuals involved in intensive training (anaerobic activities). It can assist with certain deficiencies such as: GAMT/AGAT deficiency, and possibly CTD. It can also help reduce the severity of symptoms from diseases that either weaken and/or destroy muscle/skeletal tissue, such as: arthiritis and muscular dystrophy disorders.
Does it affect everyone similarly?
No. Everyone can respond differently. You may respond very well, or you may not at all.
Here's a link that briefly discusses drug responsiveness -
Creatine is an endogenously-produced, nitrogenous, tripeptide, organic compound. The majority of creatine is found in skeletal muscle, and the remainder in organs
(brain, liver, kidneys) and in the blood flow. It can be naturally obtained via two methods: consumption of meat products (forming naturally in vertebrates) or through biosynthesis of three amino acids (L-Arginine, L-Methionine, and Glycine). Once inside the muscle, creatine and phosphocreatine is metabolised and breaks down into creatinine, which is then filtered through the glomerular capillaries and excreted. Heat, moisture and acidic foods/liquids have reportedly also caused creatine to degrade/decompose; decreasing the creatine concentration while increasing the creatinine.
How does Creatine work?
Synthesis first takes place in the kidneys, where arginine and glycine are converted by the AGAT enzyme to produce guanidinoacetate (glycocyamine/GAA) and L-ornithine. This metabolite is then transported to the liver, where a methyl group is donated from methionine by the GAMT enzyme, which results with the formation of non-phosphorylated creatine. It is then released into the blood stream and travels to several organs and muscle cells; the majority of which (95%) going to the latter. Once it reaches the muscle cells, the enzyme known as creatine kinase, which acts as a catalyst, will convert the creatine into creatine phosphate and ADP (adenosine diphosphate) by utilising ATP (adenosine triphosphate).This process is reversible.
Basically what this means is it can act as a reservoir or backup for your ATP supply and can resynthesise when necessary. This is also a crucial point due to the fact your body can only produce a limited amount of ATP daily.
(Side note: AGAT activity may occur in the liver, or both kidneys and liver.)
The reaction would look something like this:
Creatine Phosphate + Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) ⇌ Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) + Creatine
or
C[SUB]4[/SUB]H[SUB]10[/SUB]N[SUB]3[/SUB]O[SUB]5[/SUB]P + C[SUB]10[/SUB]H[SUB]15[/SUB]N[SUB]5[/SUB]O[SUB]10[/SUB]P[SUB]2[/SUB] ⇌ C[SUB]10[/SUB]H[SUB]16[/SUB]N[SUB]5[/SUB]O[SUB]13[/SUB]P[SUB]3 [/SUB]+ C[SUB]4[/SUB]H[SUB]9[/SUB]N[SUB]3[/SUB]O[SUB]2[/SUB]
Types of Creatine
Currently, the most popular and broadly-researched creatine is monohydrate. However, manufacturers of the supplement have started to develop and refine alternate and possibly more effective creatine forms. Many of the newer forms are conjugate; which have been reported to alter certain creatine properties: absorption rate, solubility, bioavailability, composition, efficacy, side effects etc.
Most common/well researched
Creatine Monohydrate (water molecule attached)
Creatine Hydrochloride (highly soluble, possibly absorbed better/reduction in side effects)
Creatine Phosphate (phosphoric acid attached)
Micronised Creatine (micronised creatine monohydrate)
Creatine Ethyl Ester (ester attached)*
Less common/moderately researched
Buffered Creatine (known as Creatine Kre-Alkalyn or Creatine Magnesium Chelate; these are creatine and magnesium combined)
Di/Tri Creatine Malate (malic acid molecule attached, along with two or three monohydrate molecules respectively)
Least common/little to no research
Creatine Anhydrous (water removed and higher purity)
Creatine Serum (creatine in liquid)
Effervescent Creatine (carbonated creatine mixed with sugar or sodium)
Creatine Citrate (citric acid attached)
Creatine Gluconate (gluconic acid attached)
Creatine Nitrate (nitric acid attached)
Creatine Decanate (decanoic acid attached)
Creatine Orotate (orotic acid molecule attached)
Creatine Pyruvate (pyruvic acid attached)
Creatine Taurinate (aminoethanesulfonic acid attached)
Creatine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (alpha-ketoglutaric acid attached)
Creatine Pyroglutamate (pyroglutamic acid attached)
Positive & Negative Effects
Common (Positive)
- Increase in power output
- Increase in creatine muscle concentration levels
- Improvement in symptoms relating to depression
- Neuroprotective
- Cardioprotective
- Loss of lean mass
- Increase in hydration
Uncommon (Positive)
- Decreased fatigue
- Lean mass increase
- Increase in anaerobic cardiovascular capacity
- Bone mineral density (very little evidence/research)
- Slower to fatigue
- Anti-depressive effects (very little evidence/research)
- Anabolic effects (very little evidence/research)
- Reduction in DNA damage (very little evidence/research)
- Improvement to executive functions (very little evidence/research)
- Reduction in hyperthermia symptoms/increase to heat tolerance (very little evidence/research)
- Increase in glycogen storage/synthesis
- Improved blood flow
- Reduction in homocysteine conversion
Common (Negative)
- Weight gain (water weight)
- High blood pressure
- Diarrhea
- Cramping
- Dryness/dehydration
Uncommon (Negative)
There was very little condemning evidence for this section.
Mythical Effects (check all)
- Increase in blood pressure (this has no direct relation to creatine supplementation)
- Harmful to liver
- Change in heartrate
- Lung function
- Increase in DHT (the one study that showed this has never been replicated/reported elsewhere)
Can it interact with other drugs?
Creatine can interact with a variety of medications; for example: anti-bacterial/viral/inflammatory, antacids, and diuretics.
With some medications it can increase the amount of serum creatinine - which could indicate less creatine absorbed.
Here is a list of known medications that interact with creatine:
- Ampicillin
- Cimetidine
- Colchicine
- Entecavir
- Pemetrexed
- Probenecid
- Sulfamethoxazole
- Trimethoprim
Can you build up a tolerance, and should you cycle it?
No, this is just a myth. Tolerance and/or absorption of creatine may be affected by hyperthyroidism. Studies have shown that both T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) can affect CK serum levels, causing them to become inverted factors to the hormones serum levels.
Cycling is unnecessary. With the right diet creatine may be unnecessary altogether.
One personal point I want to make here. Even though the general consensus will conclude that creatine supplementation cycling is unnecessary, as stated above, I believe it should. This is because any drug is capable of producing negative side effects when taken for an extended period. You may also be a non-responder without realising it, which could indicate that any further supplementation is futile. You should also pay attention to your physical/psychological state and be aware of any oddities if cycling.
Effects on the kidneys
Creatine supplementation, increased muscle mass, consumption of cooked meat, age, ethnicity, gender: all can increase serum/plasma blood creatinine levels. This can produce a false positive and prove to be an inaccurate marker for damaged kidney/renal function. A more accurate filtration marker for kidney function is Cystatin C, which is being considered as a replacement to creatinine, which is discussed in this article - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2390952/
Recommended Dose
The general consensus for the most popular creatine (monohydrate creatine) is 5g/daily, with an initial loading phase of 20g/daily for 1-2 weeks prior. Increasing the daily dosage after the initial loading phase (for example: 10g instead of 5g) may assist certain individuals, however, for the majority it is unnecessary.
There are varying recommended dosages for Creatine forms. For Creatine HCL, the recommended dose can be between 750mg to 3g daily.
Check with the provider/distributor or look at recommended dosages online.
Who should use it?
The degree of assistance creatine supplementation can vary. It is often most effective in people lacking dietary creatine, for example: vegetarians or vegans, and individuals involved in intensive training (anaerobic activities). It can assist with certain deficiencies such as: GAMT/AGAT deficiency, and possibly CTD. It can also help reduce the severity of symptoms from diseases that either weaken and/or destroy muscle/skeletal tissue, such as: arthiritis and muscular dystrophy disorders.
Does it affect everyone similarly?
No. Everyone can respond differently. You may respond very well, or you may not at all.
Here's a link that briefly discusses drug responsiveness -
