What is creatine?
Creatine monohydrate and creatine intake
Especially in sports, you often hear about creatine, creatine monohydrate, creatine supplementation, creatine phosphate, and how creatine supports muscle growth and energy metabolism. But what exactly is creatine, and where is it found in the body?
Creatine biosynthesis
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body, formed from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, and found primarily in muscle cells. It is produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Creatine is then transported to and absorbed by target organs, such as skeletal muscle, the heart, and the brain.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is a form of creatine offered for supplementation. It contains creatine in the form that naturally occurs in the body. Creatine monohydrate has been studied extensively for its effectiveness and is the most common form of creatine for dietary supplementation. Creatine monohydrate is stable, safe, easily absorbed by the body, and reliably effective.
How much creatine does the body need?
An adult (approx. 70 kg) needs about 2–4 grams of creatine per day. Approximately half of this is produced daily by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The rest is obtained through food (meat and fish). Therefore, creatine supplementation can be beneficial for vegetarians or people who eat little meat and thus consume less or no creatine. Individuals who want to actively improve their physical performance during intense exercise and thereby build muscle also benefit from creatine supplementation. Creatine intake ensures that the creatine level in the tissues reaches an optimal level. Overloading the creatine stores is not possible.
Creatine supplementation
It is scientifically proven that creatine as a dietary supplement improves physical performance during short, intense, repetitive exercises. In the long term, this leads to optimal muscle growth and strength gains. More creatine in the muscle cells improves energy supply to the muscle cells, thus enabling greater performance.
