I am a pharmacist from Fine Pharmaceuticals, distributors of Pure FP
Creatine. The TV show Carteblanche, on MNET on 12 Sept 99 highlighted the
importance of professional advice about creatine supplementation. This can
make the difference between beneficial effects & unwanted side-effects.
Fine Pharmaceuticals offers such a service free of charge. You can contact
our pharmacist (email or fax), access unbiased research material on the good
the bad & the hype around creatine at
www.finepharmaceuticals.com
The 6 primary creatine goldens rules of Creatine are:
1) Warm up, warm down.
2) Don't over exert yourself - build up slowly.
3) Drink plenty of water
4) Take a magnesium supplement if you have muscle cramps.
5) Don't use if you are under 16 years of age
6) Use creatine in moderation. More that 5-6 grams daily in total is not
normally required & can lead to unwanted side effects.
Kindest regards Brent Murphy - B.Pharm (Rhodes), M.P.S.
Here is an extract from our webpage on side effects if used unwisely. More
information on uses, abuse, effects, medicinal uses etc can be found at
www.finepharmaceuticals.com or email me.
Creatine has not been around for many years.Therefore longterm studies on
the product have not been performed. Since creatine is a natural substance,
we do not expect there to be long term side effects, AT RECOMMENDED MODERATE
DOSES. It is when these doses are exceeded that long term side effects could
be possible.
Acute (short term ) side effects are usually not related to creatine itself,
but rather the effects of increased muscle strain. these could include :
possible muscle cramps & in extreme cases, muscle tears from over stress.
Therefore it is important warm up slowly don't overdo it. Drink adequate
water (2l) daily. Diarrhoea could occur due to the osmotic laxative effect
of creatine (pumping of water from the *** into the gut to "dilute" the
creatine concentration. This should go after a few weeks due to the
creatine concentration gradient between the gut & the *** decreasing
(*** creatine levels rise & gut concentrations halve after the loading
dose).
Diarrhoea can result in fluid loss. This, along with sweating, increased
activity & increased kidney function could result in dehydration &
electrolyte imbalance which could lead to cramps & kidney complaints.
Therefore in addition to adequate water intake, electrolytes may have to be
supplemented, especially if there are associated muscle cramps. In these
situations consider taking a magnesium supplement (about 200mg daily).
On the questions of chronic (long term) side effects:
This is an extract on possible side effects by Dr Wayne Derman and Dr Martin
Schwellnus, Sports Science Institute of South Africa, published in Modern
Medicine, November 1998. This highlights the unknowns about creatine use &
where further research is required.
"If muscle strength increases will this increase the incidence of muscle
injury? This is a particular concern in the adolescent athlete who is
susceptible to injuries of growing muscle and bone.
Can the kidneys safely clear higher concentrations of creatine? Short term
use seems not to be a problem, according to one study, since creatine is a
small enough compound to be excreted easily. So a person with healthy
kidneys should be fine.
Does normal creatine production by the liver, kidneys and pancreas decrease
when creatine is added to the diet? Research has shown that it takes about 4
weeks for skeletal muscle concentration of creatine and phosphocreatine to
return to normal after supplementation. No-one yet knows what happens after
longer term supplementation.
Does creatine supplementation cause the cardiac muscle to get bigger? What
are the effect of this?"
www.finepharmaceuticals.com
Benefits of creatine:
Creatine enhances performance in 6 ways:
1) Increasing exercise intensity: The muscles are able to contract more
powerfully, because of the high levels of ATP inside the cells at any
particular time. This results in increased strength. The muscles can also
contract for a longer period of time because of the increased storage of ATP
within the cell.
2) Prevents fatigue & recharges the muscle: The muscles can contract for
longer, before running out of energy. This is because creatine ensures that
there is the maximum amount of ATP stored up inside the cell. When all the
muscles' energy (ATP) is finally used up, the muscles become exhausted Once
this occurs, if the muscles are allowed to relax for a few minutes, creatine
quickly creates more ATP. This allows you to continue your routine, where
normally your muscles would be too exhausted.
3) Recovery between exercise: Creatine is able to help muscles recover more
quickly between exercise sessions. This results in less stiffness and muscle
fatigue the next day. This is due, in part, to the ability of
creatine to help prevent the build up of lactic acid within the muscles.
4) Lean muscle growth: If weight lifting (resistance) exercise is performed,
creatine will cause an increase in lean muscle mass. This is because: (a)
Creatine allows the muscle to work harder, longer & more often, and (b)
Creatine may actually send a chemical instruction for the muscle cells to
become thicker with more muscle tissue.
5) Fat Loss: With creatine, your metabolic demands will be higher. This is
due to an increased ability to exercise as well as the high energy demand
that an increased lean muscle mass will require. This energy will be
supplied by your diet & your body's fat reserves. Fat loss is not the same
as weight loss. This is because, as the fat is used up, you will gain muscle
definition. Muscle is more dense than fat, so your weight may not change,
but you will lose fat centimeters.
6) Endurance: Recent research has shown that creatine is beneficial for
endurance because it helps prevent the build up of Lactic acid. When lactic
acid builds up inside the muscle, the muscles can no longer perform at 100%.
Creatine also spares the muscles' glycogen levels for longer. Glycogen is
one of the muscles' main energy reserves. Creatine will also help for those
parts of an endurance event that requires short bursts of power, e.g.
running/cycling up hills.
www.finepharmaceuticals.com