[Creatine: the nutritional supplement for exercise - current concepts].
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of existing literature without systematic methodology or meta-analysis.
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes literature on creatine's physiological role, endogenous synthesis from arginine and glycine, muscle storage, and potential as an ergogenic supplement for sports performance. The abstract outlines findings concerning its mechanism within the ATP-CP energy system, its impact on muscle mass and exercise performance in high-intensity repeated exercise bouts, and its safety across short- and long-term use.
What was found
The abstract provides baseline physiological values (~120 g total creatine in a 70 kg male, 95% in skeletal muscle, split into 40% free creatine and 60% phosphocreatine) but reports no numerical outcome effect sizes for exercise performance. It states that oral creatine monohydrate increases total muscle creatine and may enhance performance in short-term, high-intensity exercise tasks with limited recovery. Short-term body mass increases are noted to be primarily water retention from osmotic effects, while chronic use alongside resistance training may increase muscle mass. High-dose supplementation up to 8 weeks showed no major health risks, and low-dose supplementation over 5 years showed no adverse effects.
Why it matters
It provides an overview of the physiological mechanisms, ergogenic potential, and safety parameters supporting creatine monohydrate as a nutritional aid in power- and speed-dependent athletic tasks.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search methodology, explicit inclusion or exclusion criteria, and meta-analytic effect sizes. No specific numerical data on performance gains, dosage regimens, or total evaluated sample sizes are provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Approximately 95% of the body's creatine stores are housed within skeletal muscle.