What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound that can be made in our bodies or taken as a dietary
supplement. The chemical name for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. That
sure is a mouth full - which is why it is much easier to just call it creatine.
Here is the chemical makeup of creatine -

Creatine is made up of three amino acids - Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. Our
liver has the ability to combine these three amino acids and make creatine. The
other way we get creatine is from our diet.

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How much Creatine do we have in our body?

This varies based on the amount of muscle mass you have and your weight. On
average a 160 pound person would have about 120 grams of creatine stored in
their body.

Where is Creatine stored in our body?

It is believed that 95 - 98% of the creatine in our body is stored in our
muscles. The remaining about 2- 5% is stored in various other parts of the body
including the brain, heart and testes.

So what does creatine do?

Now is when the fun begins. First, before we answer this question - understand
that the theory of what creatine does - is just that - theory. It is amazing how
little we actually know about what goes on in our body. Anyway, we will outline
what the majority of research currently agrees on in terms of what role creatine
plays in our body.

1. Provide additional energy for your muscles

Time for a quick and simple biology lesson. In your body you have a compound
called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). Think of ATP as an energy containing
compound. What is important to know about ATP is that the body can very quickly
get energy from a ATP reaction. You have other sources of energy such as
carbohydrates and fat - but they take longer to convert into a useable energy
source. When you are doing an intense quick burst activity - such as lifting a
weight or sprinting, your muscles must contract and need a quick source of
energy. This immediate energy comes from ATP.

Okay - still with us? Here is where it gets interesting. When your muscles use
ATP for energy a chemical process happens where the ATP is broken down into two
simpler chemicals ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and inorganic phosphate. This
process of ATP turning into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles the
ability to contract. Unfortunately, we do not have an endless supply of ATP. In
fact, your muscles only contain enough ATP to last about 10-15 seconds at
maximum exertion. In case you were wondering - no, the ADP can not be used to
create more energy for your muscles.

Here is where the creatine comes in - or more specifically the creatine
phosphate (CP). We don't want to go into great detail on creatine vs. creatine
phosphate now (that is in a later article) - all you need to know now is that
the majority of creatine that is stored in the muscles bonds with abundant
phosphorus stores in the muscles and is converted into Creatine Phosphate (CP).
CP is able to react with the ADP in your body and turn "useless" ADP back into
the "super useful" energy source - ATP. More ATP in your body means more fuel
for your muscles.

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2. Volumization of your muscles

Looks like we just made up that word -Volumization - doesn't it? Actually, it's
just a fancy name for the process of pulling fluid into the muscle cells and
thus increasing the volume of the muscles. Creatine has been shown to pull water
into your muscle cells, which increases the size of your muscles. Don't get to
excited - it is not clear how great an effect this has. Point #1 is a much
clearer benefit of creatine.

3. Buffer Lactic Acid build-up

New research has shown that creatine can help buffer lactic acid that builds-up
in the muscles during exercise. This leads to that nasty burning feel you get in
your muscles. Scientifically it is a complicated process - basically the
creatine bonds with a Hydrogen ion and that helps delay the build up of lactic
acid. More research needs to be done to see if this point is true.

4. Enhances Protein Synthesis

There is some data to indicate that creatine helps put the body in a more
anabolic state where protein synthesis can occur. The more protein synthesis -
the greater the muscle gain.

Well - there you have what creatine does in a very simplified nutshell. Of all 4
points - point #1 is the most use of creatine in the body. The other points are
more debated - but still look to be valid.

Is the 120 grams of creatine in my body enough?

Maybe. The whole idea behind taking creatine as supplement is that if you
workout you burn-up a lot of creatine. If you take a creatine supplement you
will have more energy - because the ATP energy cycle can go on for a longer
time. We go into supplementation in another article - but here is the quick run
down. Unfortunately your muscle's creatine supply is not limitless. The average
human has between 3.5 and 4 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle. Once you
use up the creatine in your muscle you have to rest your muscles and wait a
while before you can exercise the muscle again. Studies have shown that the
human muscle can store up to 5 grams of creatine per kilogram. So, by taking a
creatine supplement you can raise your levels from 3.5 to 5 grams of creatine -
and thus enjoy more of the benefits of creatine.

What happens to creatine that is not used by the body?

Excess creatine is eventually converted into the waste product creatinine and
excreted from the body.

Source: absolute-creatine.com