CREATINE CREAPURE®. POWDER/CAPSULES

Key conclusions

• Creatine increases creatine and phosphocreatine concentration in the muscles, which supports rapid resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate during short, intense efforts. The authors indicate that this mechanism helps improve the capacity to perform high-intensity efforts and favours better training adaptation.
• Creatine supplementation may increase the amount of work performed during a series of maximal muscle contractions, which over a longer perspective may translate into greater gains in strength, power and lean body mass. In the position statement, creatine monohydrate is described as the most effective ergogenic supplement currently available to athletes in the context of increasing the capacity for high-intensity efforts and the growth of lean body mass during training.
• The authors also indicate that creatine may support recovery after intense exercise. The cited studies described, among others, greater glycogen restoration, smaller increases in creatine kinase activity after exercise, and favourable changes in selected inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandin E2.
• The position statement also describes data suggesting that creatine supplementation may help with better tolerance of heavy training loads and periods of intensified training. The authors also cite studies in which athletes supplementing with creatine recorded a lower frequency of cramps, dehydration, muscle strains and some injuries than people in control groups.
• Creatine monohydrate is indicated in the position statement as the best-researched and clinically most effective form of creatine. The authors emphasise that claims of clearly better bioavailability or effectiveness of other forms of creatine haven't been convincingly confirmed in studies.
• The fastest way to increase muscle creatine stores is, according to the authors, the use of around 0.3 g of creatine monohydrate/kg of body weight daily for 5 to 7 days, and then 3 to 5 g daily to maintain the elevated stores. Alternatively, 3 to 5 g daily can be used for around 3 to 4 weeks, which also increases muscle creatine stores, just more slowly. 0,3 g monohydratu kreatyny/kg masy ciała dziennie przez 5–7 dni, a następnie 3–5 g dziennie w celu utrzymania podwyższonych zasobów. Alternatywnie można stosować 3–5 g dziennie przez około 3–4 tygodnie, co również zwiększa zasoby mięśniowe, ale wolniej.
• The authors note that adding carbohydrates, or combining carbohydrates with protein, may increase creatine retention in the muscles, although this doesn't have to translate into greater exercise effects than using creatine monohydrate alone.
• On safety, the position statement emphasises that both short-term and long-term supplementation with creatine monohydrate is well tolerated. The authors indicate that doses of 30 g daily for 5 years were used without showing harmful influence on health in healthy people and in various clinical populations. 30 g dziennie przez 5 lat były stosowane bez wykazania szkodliwego wpływu na zdrowie u osób zdrowych oraz w różnych populacjach klinicznych.
• The position statement found no convincing evidence that creatine causes dehydration, increases the risk of muscle cramps, disturbs electrolyte balance or worsens kidney function in healthy people. The authors also emphasise that there's no evidence of long-term inhibition of endogenous creatine synthesis after finishing supplementation.
• The only consistently described side effect of supplementation is a short-term increase in body weight, usually linked mainly to increased water retention. From a practical point of view this can be favourable in strength-power sports, but less desirable in disciplines where a low body mass matters.

Key conclusions

• The meta-analysis showed that creatine supplementation improved upper-limb strength in exercises of duration shorter than 3 minutes. The global effect for the upper limbs was ES = 0.317 and was statistically significant. ES = 0,317 i był istotny statystycznie.
  
• The most consistent data concerned the chest muscles. For the whole group of exercises engaging the chest muscle, the effect was ES = 0.289, and for the bench press alone ES = 0.265. The authors report that bench press performance increased on average by around 5.3% after creatine supplementation. ES = 0,289, a dla samego wyciskania na ławce ES = 0,265. Autorzy podają, że wykonanie w bench pressie wzrastało średnio o około 5,3% po suplementacji kreatyną.
  
• W przypadku chest press odnotowano większy efekt, ES = 0,677For the chest press, a larger effect was recorded, ES = 0.677, but this result rested on only 4 studies, so it requires more cautious interpretation than the bench press data.
  
• The analysis of changes from the start to the end of the intervention produced a similar picture. For the chest muscles the effect was ES = 0.447, and for the bench press ES = 0.386, which reinforces the conclusion that creatine supplementation may support the development of upper-limb strength in short strength efforts. ES = 0,447, a dla bench pressu ES = 0,386, co wzmacnia wniosek, że suplementacja kreatyną może wspierać rozwój siły kończyn górnych podczas krótkotrwałych wysiłków siłowych.
  
• The authors didn't show that the effectiveness of supplementation depended clearly on age, sex, activity level at the start, type of training, dose, supplementation duration or training status. This means the effect was observed across various studied populations and under various supplementation schemes. age, płci, poziomu aktywności na starcie, rodzaju treningu, dawki, czasu suplementacji ani statusu wytrenowania. Oznacza to, że efekt był obserwowany w różnych badanych populacjach i przy różnych schematach stosowania.
  
• W analizowanych badaniach najczęściej stosowano monohydrat kreatyny. Średnia dawka ładowania wynosiła około 20,9 g dziennie, najczęściej przez 5–7 dni, a średnia całkowita dawka suplementacji wynosiła 152,2 gThe analysed studies most often used creatine monohydrate. The mean loading dose was around 20.9 g daily, most often for 5 to 7 days, and the mean total supplementation dose was 152.2 g. In some of the studies a maintenance dose was then used.
  
• The authors didn't find a clear advantage of one specific supplementation scheme over another. Regression didn't show that the size of the effect depended on the dose, supplementation duration or the presence of a maintenance phase.
  
• Publikacja dotyczyła wyłącznie siły kończyn górnych, a nie ogólnej sprawności sportowej. Najmocniejsze wnioski dotyczą więc ćwiczeń takich jak bench press, chest press The publication concerned exclusively upper-limb strength, not general athletic capacity. The strongest conclusions therefore concern exercises such as the bench press, chest press and other short strength tasks engaging the upper body.

Key conclusions

• The authors indicate that creatine monohydrate belongs to the small group of supplements with good scientific support in sport. Its best-documented application concerns high-intensity efforts and training directed at strength, power and gains in lean body mass.
  
• Creatine's mechanism of action is linked to increasing creatine and phosphocreatine stores in the muscles, which favours faster resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate during short, intense efforts. In practice this may support single and repeated high-intensity efforts.
  
• In the table on supplements improving exercise performance, the authors report that creatine monohydrate may improve the performance of short, high-intensity tasks lasting below 150 seconds, with the most clear effects observed in tasks shorter than 30 seconds. A favourable influence on chronic training adaptations was also indicated, including growth of lean body mass and muscle strength and power. poniżej 150 sekund, a najbardziej wyraźne efekty obserwowano w zadaniach krótszych niż 30 sekund. Wskazano też na korzystny wpływ na przewlekłe adaptacje treningowe, w tym wzrost beztłuszczowej masy ciała oraz siły i mocy mięśniowej.
  
• The position statement describes a typical supplementation protocol as around 20 g daily for 5 days, and then 3 to 5 g daily to maintain elevated muscle creatine stores. The authors also note that intake together with a mix of protein and carbohydrates may increase creatine uptake by the muscles. 20 g dziennie przez 5 dni, a następnie 3–5 g dziennie w celu utrzymania podwyższonych zasobów kreatyny mięśniowej. Autorzy zaznaczają także, że spożycie razem z mieszaniną białka i węglowodanów może zwiększać wychwyt kreatyny przez mięśnie.
  
• In the section on indirect support of training and recovery, the authors indicate that many studies show better training adaptation after creatine, such as greater gains in lean body mass and strength. At the same time, it was described that a favourable influence on muscle damage symptoms and exercise recovery was reported in some, but not all, studies. w części, ale nie we wszystkich badaniach.
  
• The document also indicates that creatine may support recovery after periods of immobilisation or very low activity. The authors note, however, that here too results weren't entirely uniform.
  
• In the table on training and recovery support, data were also cited suggesting a possible favourable influence of creatine on cognitive function, especially in situations of fatigue induced by sleep deficit or heavy physical and mental load. The authors note, however, that effects in athletes haven't yet been well characterised.
  
• Regarding the potential neuroprotective action, the position statement describes preliminary data on reducing muscle damage and supporting recovery after mild brain injury. The authors emphasise, however, that the data aren't conclusive and require further research.
• The authors also note that during a creatine loading phase, body weight may increase by around 1 to 2 kg, mainly in connection with water retention. In some disciplines this can be favourable, but in others it may constitute a limitation. 1–2 kg, głównie w związku z retencją wody. W niektórych dyscyplinach może to być korzystne, ale w innych może stanowić ograniczenie

Key conclusions

• The pooled analysis of all results produced a very small effect in favour of creatine. The total standardised effect was 0,11, and the authors described it as trivial to smallthat is very small. At the same time, the 95% credibility interval covered values from −0,02 do 0,25,so the result should be interpreted cautiously.
• In the analysis of absolute changes assessed ultrasonographically, small values in favour of creatine were obtained for both the upper and lower limbs. The mean estimates were:
  • elbow extensors: +0.16 cm
  • elbow flexors: +0.10 cm
  • knee extensors: +0.13 cm
  • knee flexors: +0.11 cm
    The authors note, however, that here too the credibility intervals covered the possibility of a very small or uncertain effect.
• The authors compare their results with earlier meta-analyses, in which an increase in lean body mass of around 1,1–1,4 kg was observed for creatine combined with resistance training. They emphasise, however, that measurements of total lean body mass may partly also reflect an increase in total body water, so direct muscle imaging gives a more cautious picture of the hypertrophic effect.
• In the moderator analysis, a slightly larger effect was recorded in younger people than in older people. In younger adults the effect was ES = 0,23, while in older people ES = 0,06. The authors note, however, that the difference was small and its practical significance remains uncertain.
• No clear advantage for a specific body region was shown. The authors summarise that creatine may to a similar degree support small muscle gains both in the upper and lower limbs.
• In the analysis of intervention duration, no convincing data were obtained that longer protocols give a clearly larger effect. Differences between shorter and longer studies were small, and additionally longer interventions partly concerned older people, which makes interpretation difficult.
• The authors also emphasise a few important limitations. Most studies covered untrained people, only one study covered exclusively women, and the response to creatine may vary individually. They also note that part of the moderate effect may depend on who is a "responder" and who isn't.
• In the final conclusions, the authors summarise that creatine used together with resistance training may favour a small increase in regional muscle hypertrophy,, but people using supplementation with a view to enlarging specific muscle groups themselves should bear in mind that the scale of the effect is rather small.

Key conclusions

• The authors indicate that creatine supplementation may increase creatine concentration in the brain, but the response is variable and depends on the protocol used and the brain region. In the cited studies, the increase in creatine and phosphocreatine concentration in the brain ranged from around 3.1% to 14.6%, and in some studies no significant changes were observed. 3,1% do 14,6%, a w części badań nie obserwowano istotnych zmian.
• The work emphasised that increasing creatine concentration in the brain may require higher or longer-applied doses than those used as standard for increasing muscle stores. The authors note that the optimal supplementation scheme for the brain remains unknown. wyższe lub bardziej długotrwałe dawki niż te stosowane standardowo do zwiększania zasobów mięśniowych. Autorzy zaznaczają, że optymalny schemat suplementacji dla mózgu pozostaje nieznany.
• Creatine's influence on cognitive function appears most likely in situations where the brain is under greater energy load. Favourable effects were observed in some studies during sleep deprivation, experimental hypoxia and the performance of more complex and demanding cognitive tasks. deprywacji snu, eksperymentalnej hipoksji oraz przy wykonywaniu bardziej złożonych i wymagających zadań poznawczych.
• The work cites studies in young adults in which, after supplementation, improvement in selected aspects of short-term memory, working memory and executive function was observed. At the same time, the authors emphasise that the results of studies in healthy people under non-stressful conditions are not uniform and don't allow for the formulation of strong, general conclusions. niejednolite i nie pozwalają na sformułowanie mocnych, ogólnych wniosków.
• The authors also draw attention to sports data. In one of the cited studies in athletes subjected to sleep deprivation, creatine improved the performance of a task linked to passing accuracy in rugby, but the work notes that field data on the translation of these effects into sports performance are still very limited. In the section on neuroprotection, the authors describe that mild brain injury can lead to a drop in creatine concentration in the brain or disturbance of energy metabolism, which constitutes a mechanistic justification for the potential action of creatine. The work cited two open studies in children with brain injury, in which improvement in cognitive function, communication and self-care, and a reduction in headaches, dizziness and fatigue, was observed.
  W części dotyczącej neuroprotekcji autorzy opisują, że po łagodnym urazie mózgu dochodzi do spadku stężenia kreatyny w mózgu i zaburzeń metabolizmu energetycznego, co stanowi mechanistyczne uzasadnienie dla potencjalnego działania kreatyny. W pracy przywołano dwa otwarte badania u dzieci z urazem mózgu, w których obserwowano poprawę funkcji poznawczych, komunikacji, samoobsługi i zachowania oraz zmniejszenie bólów głowy, zawrotów głowy i zmęczenia.
• The authors emphasise, however, that clinical data on creatine's neuroprotective action in humans are still limited. Although results from animal studies are promising and suggest significant reduction of damage after brain injury, this area requires further well-designed studies in humans. ograniczone. Choć wyniki badań na zwierzętach są obiecujące i sugerują nawet znaczne ograniczenie uszkodzeń po urazie mózgu, obszar ten wymaga dalszych dobrze zaprojektowanych badań u ludzi.
• In the summary, the authors indicate that creatine may be particularly interesting in situations involving acute or chronic lowering of the brain's energy stores, such as sleep deficit, hypoxia, very heavy cognitive load or brain injury. At the same time, they note that it still isn't precisely known which protocol best increases creatine concentration in the brain and to what degree this translates into improved cognitive function.

Key conclusions

• The authors indicate that creatine may cause short-term water retention, especially in the first days of supplementation, but long-term data don't unambiguously confirm that it leads to a permanent increase in total body water relative to muscle mass.
• Creatine is not an anabolic steroid. The authors emphasise that creatine has a different chemical structure, a different mechanism of action and a different legal classification than anabolic-androgenic steroids.
• In experimental and controlled studies, creatine supplementation at the recommended doses didn't cause kidney damage or disturbance of kidney function in healthy people. The authors note that a rise in creatinine may result from creatine metabolism and doesn't have to signify worsening of kidney function.
• The current state of evidence doesn't indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss or balding.
• Experimental and clinical data don't confirm that creatine causes dehydration or muscle cramps. In the cited studies, athletes using creatine were observed to have even fewer cases of cramps, dehydration, heat illness and selected injuries compared with people not using creatine.
• Randomized controlled studies don't confirm that creatine increases fat mass. The authors indicate that in various populations, creatine supplementation didn't lead to growth of fat tissue.
• The loading phase isn't necessary. The authors describe that lower, daily doses of creatine, most often 3 to 5 g/day, also effectively increase muscle creatine stores, although maximal saturation is reached more slowly than with the classic loading protocol. 3–5 g/dzień, również skutecznie zwiększają zasoby kreatyny mięśniowej, choć maksymalne nasycenie osiągane jest wolniej niż przy klasycznym protokole ładowania.
• The authors point to a growing body of data suggesting benefits from using creatine in older people, especially combined with resistance training, in the context of muscle mass, strength and muscle function.
• The authors emphasise that creatine isn't useful exclusively in strength or power activities. The work also described creatine's potential significance for glycogen replenishment, recovery after intense exercise, tolerance of periods of intensified training, and limiting muscle atrophy during immobilisation.
• According to the authors, other forms of creatine haven't shown an advantage over creatine monohydrate. The summary indicates that evidence-based research shows creatine monohydrate as the optimal choice.