preview

Creatine Literature Review

Good Essays

Literature Review: Creatine Supplementation
Introduction
Creatine is a natural substance that occurs in the body, it is also a supplement that has been tested by numerus athletes over the years to see whether it has a positive effect on performance. However, there is anecdotal evidence that suggests creatine supplementation may be the cause of negative side effects such as dehydration, the increase of muscle cramping and an increase in blood pressure. One way the supplementation of creatine can improve performance is by aiding the resynthesise ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) stores within the body in order to produce energy at a quicker rate therefore the most common athletes to take creatine are high intensity power athletes who are repeated actions multiple times. Such as those doing long distance events such as cycling, swimming and running, it may also be used as a way of recovery for sprinters. A study carried out by Kreider R.B et al. (1998) concluded that there were increases in the performance of isotonic lifting and sprinting during agility after taking creatine supplements. Although creatine has been believed to help recovery, research undertaken by Stroud et al. (1994), would suggest that there was no difference in the recovery periods. This review of literature will examine as to whether creatine should be recommended to athletes based on current research.

Main Body
Creatine is classified as a nutritional supplement this is because it is a naturally occurring

Get Access