The Primary Function of Creatine Supplementation

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the body, classified as a non-essential nutrient. This means that your body can produce creatine on its own, but it can also be obtained through dietary sources. Foods like red meat and fish are particularly rich in creatine, as it is primarily stored in animal muscle tissue. Once consumed, creatine is absorbed and stored in your body, with most of it residing in skeletal muscle in two forms: free creatine and phosphocreatine.

How Creatine Supports Energy Production

The main benefit of creatine is its role in boosting energy production during short bursts of high-intensity activities. To understand how this works, let’s explore the science of energy within our body.

ATP: The Body’s Energy Currency
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the molecule that powers cellular activities, including muscle contractions, metabolic processes, and nutrient transport. ATP consists of three key components:

1. Adenine (a nitrogenous base)
2. Ribose (a sugar molecule)
3. Three phosphate groups

The energy stored in ATP is located in the bonds between the phosphate groups. When one of these bonds is broken—typically the outermost phosphate—a significant amount of energy is released. This process converts ATP into Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP).

However, our cells require a constant supply of ATP to function. ADP can be recycled back into ATP, but this process demands a source of high-energy phosphates. Here’s where creatine, specifically phosphocreatine, comes into play.

The Role of Phosphocreatine in Energy Production
Phosphocreatine, a stored form of creatine in muscles, donates a high-energy phosphate to ADP, converting it back into ATP. This process, known as the Phosphagen System or ATP-CP System, is the body’s fastest method of regenerating ATP. It is especially critical during short, high-intensity activities like sprinting, jumping, or lifting weights, as phosphocreatine stores provide rapid bursts of energy.

Unfortunately, these stores are limited and only sustain maximum effort for about 10 seconds. This is why supplementing with creatine is beneficial—it increases the amount of creatine and phosphocreatine in your muscles, enhancing your ability to perform high-intensity activities.

Benefits of Creatine Supplementation

Research shows that creatine supplementation can increase total muscle creatine stores by 10% to 30% and phosphocreatine stores by 10% to 40%. This boost improves the body’s ability to regenerate ATP, enabling you to:

• Perform extra repetitions during strength training
• Sprint faster for longer durations
• Reduce fatigue and lactic acid build-up during intense exercise

While creatine doesn’t directly cause muscle growth, it allows for harder and more effective workouts, which can lead to greater strength and muscle gains over time.

Creatine Monohydrate: The Gold Standard

Creatine Monohydrate is the most researched and widely used form of creatine. It is typically consumed in powder form at a recommended dose of 3-5g daily. However, there’s a growing trend toward alternative forms, such as gummies, which offer added convenience and taste.

Why Choose Elevate Creatine Gummies?

Elevate has introduced one of Australia’s first creatine monohydrate gummies, available in a sour blue raspberry flavour. These gummies stand out due to their:

• Convenience: No measuring or mixing required
• Portability: Easy to carry and consume on the go
• Taste: A delicious alternative to powders

Elevate ensures the highest quality by manufacturing its products in the USA at FDA-registered and GMP-certified facilities. Additionally, all products undergo third-party testing by ACS, an accredited Australian laboratory, for quality assurance.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (n.d.). Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/adenosine-triphosphate

Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5753968/

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2020). Biochemistry, Creatine. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553175/

ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Creatine Phosphate. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/creatine-phosphate

The Sports Edu. (n.d.). The Phosphagen System. Retrieved from https://thesportsedu.com/the-phosphagen-system/