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Creatine Guide| History | In 1832 the French scientist Chevreul discovered a new ingredient of meat to which he gave the name Creatine, according to the source from which it was extracted (Kreas: Greek for flesh). The German scientist Justus von Liebig confirmed that it is a regular constituent of flesh. Levels in wild animals were 10 times higher compared to captive animals suggesting that physical activity might have an influence on the amount present in flesh. A meat extract (Liebigs Fleischextrakt) was the only source for Creatine supplementation over the next century.
Anecdotal reports in the early 1990's suggested that its supplementation might improve sport performance. British track and field 1992 Olympic champions Linford Christie (100 m dash) and Sally Gunnell (400 m hurdles) reportedly used it, as did the Cambridge University rowing team in training for three months before defeating the heavily favored Oxford [16]. Numerous controlled clinical trials followed in the upcoming years proving the benefits of its supplementation in different sports.
Many celebrated professional athletes and Olympic champions acknowledge Creatine's use and it's estimated that 80% of the athletes at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta used Creatine. Mark McGwire, one of major league baseball's greatest sluggers, used it during the 1998 season and his legendary race to set the single season home run record, making it the most popular sports nutrition product in the USA. Supplementation has become a common practice among professional, elite, collegiate and amateur athletes to enhance exercise performance.
Today, it is one of the best-studied supplements in the field of sports nutrition and its proven efficacy as an ergogenic substance was reviewed and accepted by numerous authorities | | |
| However not all creatine is created equal | When it comes to the manufacture, no other brand combines the three pillars of qualitycareful selection of raw materials, patented high-performance technology, and precise chemical analysisthe way CreapureŽ does. If it doesnt say CreapureŽ on the label, its not pure. CreapureŽ is the safest in the world market. And the most effective.
Click here to go straight to the CreapureŽ creatine products
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| Safe & Effective | In a market always looking for new and improved products, there are now more than 20 different derivatives sold commercially that promise better results than conventional creatine monohydrate .
But no scientific studies have been done on these new products that prove that they enhance performance, unlike creatine monohydrate, which, as the subject of more than 300 studies, is one of the most researched dietary supplements around. So if you are given the choice to choose between largely untested, unproven products and one that is not only proven beyond doubt to be the most effective but also the safest in the world, which would you choose? The choice is both logical and simple, especially if you put safety first .
CreapureŽ has been studied extensively and absolutely no toxic side effects have been discovered. All of the studies carried out on CreapureŽ have been in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines and standards (FDA and EU) under GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) conditions.
Furthermore, numerous animal and human trials have been commissioned to test the safety of CreapureŽ as a supplement. In addition to the classic toxicological tests, CreapureŽ has been investigated in more than 50 clinical trials. People of all ages tested CreapureŽ in sports and non-sports applications over a period of more than 21 months without experiencing any side-effects.
Because other manufacturers use different manufacturing processes, and therefore have different purity profiles, only CreapureŽ has this proven safety profile. It is widely regarded as the best in the world today and is used exclusively in Reflex products. | | |
| What is the common daily dosage for CREAPURE? | | A high-dose loading phase of 20 g (4 times 5 g) CREAPURE per day for 5 days followed by a maintenance phase of 2 to 5 g (once daily) per day is common for athletes. Based on body weight, 0.3 g per kg body mass per day as a loading phase and per kg body mass per day as a maintenance phase are suggested. Alternatively a low-dose long-term usage will result in the same muscle levels (3g for 28 days). Taking larger amounts for more than 5 days does not result in significantly higher levels and is therefore unnecessary. | | |
| Is Creapure extracted from natural sources, or a fully synthetic product? What about the BSE risk? (Is Creapure suitable for vegetarians?) | | Creatine was discovered in the first half of the 19th century as a component of beef tea and for quite some time Liebigs Fleischextrakt (a meat extract) was the only source. In the 1990's chemical synthesis became more efficient and has been established in the large-scale industrial production. Degussa developed a synthetic route (cf. US patent 5,719,319) guaranteeing highest quality, purity and safety and is marketing this product under the Creapure brand. Due to the fact that Creapure is synthesized by chemical reaction using non-animal based starting materials Creapure is GUARANTEED FREE of BSE transmissible agents and suitable for vegetarians. | | |
| Is Creapure stable in water? | It is stable for a limited time in aqueous solution due to a degradation into Creatinine. The speed of degradation is:
-dependant on the pH (the lower the pH the faster the degradation)
-dependant on the temperature (the higher the temperature the faster the degradation. See Diagram).
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| Is it safe? Has Degussa investigated the safety in animal and human trials? | | Degussa sponsored numerous animal and human trials to prove the safety of Creapure supplementation. Besides the classic toxicology, it was tested in more than 50 clinical trials. People of all ages (from several months up to age 70+) in sports and non-sports applications, over periods of more than 21 months used Creapure without any unwanted side effects. Due to different impurity profiles of different Creatine manufacturers, only Creapure has such a proven safety profile. | | |
| I have heard that creatine should not be consumed together with coffee; what about coke or ice tea ? | | Try to avoid taking high amounts of Caffeine. Simultaneous supplementation of large amounts of Caffeine (e.g. 4 cups of coffee) eliminates the ergogenic effects of Creatine by interfering with the resynthesis of Phosphocreatine. Lower amounts of Caffeine (e.g. 1-2 cups of Coffee) seem not to influence the efficacy. | | |
| Is there any doping test risk for supreme athletes, in Olympic tests for example? | | No, it is considered as food by the IOC. The Creatine content in the muscle is limited and can only be increased up to certain amount. An athlete can increase his or her Creatine muscle content through regular diet (e.g. high-meat or high-fish diets). | | |
| Does it improve performance in athletes? | | The effects of Creatine supplementation were studied in people with different training background and athletic abilities, from competitive college athletes to relatively untrained beginners. Supplementation significantly increases performance in a variety of sports such as sprinting, repeated jumping, swimming, kayaking/rowing, resistance exercise or cycling. Short-term Creatine supplementation improves, for example, maximal strength/power (5-15%), work performed during sets of maximum efforts (5-20%), power production during short sprints (app. 30%) and work performed during repetitive sprints (5-15%). Supplementation is common amongst bodybuilders, power lifters, wrestlers, rowers, cyclists, mountain bikers, tennis players, skiers, or players in American football, soccer, rugby, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball or handball teams as well as track and field athletes (sprinter, shot put, javelin, discus). | | |
| How does CREAPURE improve performance? | | Different mechanisms are involved in the ergogenic effects of Creatine supplementation: (1) higher Phosphocreatine concentrations serving as an immediate buffer to ATP during exercise, (2) increased Phosphocreatine resynthesis rate during and after exercise due to increased levels of free Creatine, (3) smaller decrease in muscle pH during exercise, (4) enhanced training load and (5) increasing muscle mass (absolute power output). | | |
| Are there any beneficial effects of taking Creatine with Glucose or Protein? | | Creatine retention can be augmented when it is consumed along with simple carbohydrates, such as Glucose, compared to Creatine alone. This increased absorption has been attributed to insulin mediated stimulation of the Creatine transporter. However, large amounts of carbohydrate (~100 g) or combinations of carbohydrate (47 g) and Protein (50 g) are necessary to significantly improve uptake. These large doses of carbohydrate are difficult to palate and potentially hazardous to diabetics or those with glucose intolerance. A recent study suggests that adding alpha-Lipoic Acid can reduce the amount of Carbohydrates needed. 25 g Dextrose and alpha-Lipoic Acid (250 mg) resulted in greater muscle Creatine accumulation than Creatine intake alone, or Creatine plus 25 g Dextrose. | | |
| Is there such a thing as "pH stable creatine" formulas? | | Some products with an alkaline pH claim a higher stability and better bioavailability. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting these claims. Further no clinical studies have been made. After ingestion these products are also adjusted to an acidic pH in the stomach and will therefore be degraded in the same way like pure creatine monohydrate. For Creapure it has been shown that less than 0.1 g of a 5 g dose is lost in 1 hour at pH 3.5. The stability of it at pH 1 is even higher. Therefore, conversion of creatine to creatinine in the gastrointestinal tract is minimal regardless of transit time. | | |
| Are there quality differences in different products? | | Yes there are. Products with more than 5% impurities have been found on the market. The reaction conditions as well as the treatment of the crude Creatine Monohydrate are crucial for the quality of the product. Inferior starting materials or reducing the amount of water during "recrystallization" results in increased amounts of impurities (such as Dicyandiamide (dimerization product of Cyanamide), Creatinine and Dihydrotriazines). Worldwide authorities warn about potential health risks resulting from present impurities in Dietary Supplements. Degussa's Creapure has a very strict specification on potential impurities in Creatine Monohydrate. | | |
| What is the shelf life of CREAPURE? | The shelf-life of Creapure is 36 months from the date of manufacture, in the original unopened container, under the suggested storage conditions. Creapure should be stored at dry and cool to room temperature, in the original unopened container avoiding direct sunlight.
* In the table the shelf-life of Creapure was determined by measuring the amount of the degradation product Creatinine with time. Creapure stored under the suggested storage conditions is stable for at least 45 months (Creatinine levels stay under the quantification limit of 67 ppm). Storage at increased temperatures of 40°C (104°F) showed no increase in Creatinine levels after 44 months. Even storage at 60°C (140°F) resulted only in minimal amounts of Creatinine (106 ppm) after a period of 44 months.
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