In the first of a series of blog posts, MTP’s resident Sports Dietitian Juliana Lisboa takes a look at common supplements taken by athletes. What is Creatine, and how can you benefit from it? Check it out.

Creatine Phosphate (CrP) is an important fuel source in maximal sprints of 5-10 seconds, which are seen in many movements performed in CrossFit. Supplementation with creatine increases the rate of CrP during recovery of high intensity bouts of exercise.

• Improve work capacity within training session
• Positively influence muscle strength
• Positively influence muscle hypertrophy
• Improve aerobic performance in trials longer than 150 seconds.

People with low levels of creatine are the ones who benefit the most:

• Female vegetarians
• Underweight older individuals

Creatine supplementation can be of great applicability to the well-developed CrossFit athlete.

It is generally considered safe, although some people report nausea, gastrointestinal upset, cramping and headaches.

• If you have kidney problems
• If slightly increasing body weight will not compensate the benefits of taking creatine
• If you are under 16yo or you are still making progress and developing without the use of any supplement.

• Adolescents under 16 yo should not be taking supplements as they still have a lot to develop by themselves.
• Regulation is quite poor around supplements, only buy from a trusted source.
• Prefer pure creatine monohydrate, instead of a mix containing many substances as it is easier to control what and how much you are actually putting into your body.
• Expect an increase in body weight of about a kilo. This is due to water retention, not body fat deposition.
• Follow the correct protocol, as wrong doses can be prejudicial.
• If in doubt, contact Juliana on juliana@movetrainperform.com.au

For a printable info sheet on this topic download the file below.