FREE ESSAY ON CREATINE USED IN SPORT

CREATINE USED IN SPORT

Creatine Used in Sport
Throughout time, humans have had a fascination with being excellent at what they do, and
athletics have been no exception. Many substances exist, and many have been criticized
and analyzed for their safety, legality, and morality for athletes. With t
banning of steroids from competitive sports, and the implementation of random drug
testing in most sports, most athletes, professional, recreational, and would-be
professionals are hoping to gain an edge. More recently, one such edge has been discover
, and it has found itself in locker rooms across the country, in the hands of these
athletes, and all the while, and probably more importantly, in the media's direct line of
fire. Although legal, creatine has it's proponents and it's opponents, through 
is paper. The questions is: Should Creatine, a performance-enhancing aid, be used in
sports? 
To understand why people use creatine, we must first understand what it is. Creatine is a
naturally occurring nutrient that is found in the body (Sahelian, 2000). It is also found
in meat and fish, usually at a concentration of about 4 grams of creati
per kilogram (Sahelian, 2000). As a general fact, we consume around 1 gram per day from
out daily diet. Vegetarians have a much lower intake of creatine than most meat eaters,
and will usually have a noted reaction to creatine supplementation due to 
is fact (Sahelian, 2000). To apply creatine to the muscle building process, we must
understand what it does. When we use our muscle everyday for any activity, we use oxygen
to make energy. This energy is created by breaking down a chemical that exist
in our body known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), into another chemical, adenosine
diphosphate (ADP), but using oxygen to make energy is a very slow process (Sahelian,
2000). This is the part of the process where creatine makes itself known. Current 
udies show that creatine supplementation can increase the amount of creatine in muscles,
which in turn, speeds up the ATP refueling process (Murphy, 2000). This enhances
performance by producing more energy for brief, high-intensity exercise such as sp
nting, and allowing for more strenuous workouts (Gutfeld, 1997). All of these factors are
crucial to athletes who are searching for their legal magic bullet. Creatine was first
discovered by a French scientist in 1832 (Bamberger, 1998). This scient
t discovered a naturally occurring organic compound that could be produced by the
kidneys, liver, and pancreas. The compound was named creatine, the Greek word for flesh
(Bamberger, 1998). It has been found that most people consume 1 gram per day, a
ng with naturally producing 1 gram (Bamberger, 1998).
In 1981, the potential medical benefits of creatine were published in the New England
Journal of Medicine in, seven years later, two Swedish doctors, Paul Greenhaff, and Eric
Hultman, recorded performance-enhancing effects of creatine in athletic subj
ts, and their results were published in the journal Clinical Science in 1992 (Bamberger,
1998). Most of the current creatine buzz surfaced and intensified after the 1992 Olympics
when several athletes such as runner/sprinter Michael Johnson, reported 
ing creatine to prepare themselves for the games. In more current trends, exact numbers
regarding athletes who use creatine do not exist, but when Brady Anderson, a professional
baseball player and creatine user/endorser began supplementation, he was o
of very few who knew about the product, but numbers suggest now that approximately 50% of
all NFL players use creatine (Bamberger, 1998). 
Creatine is most commonly used by athletes of all kinds, namely recreational, high
school, college, and the more scrutinized professional athletes. These athletes use
creatine because of what creatine supplementation does. The reliable and valid rese
ch studies support the benefits of creatine supplementation. Mainly, that it can have a
positive impact on the following aspects, 1) Expediting recovery between workouts, 2)
increase the amount of exercise that can be performed during workouts, 3) incr
se muscle size and strength, 4) improve anaerobic power and endurance, and 5) increase
body weight (Arapoff and Riley, 1998). These are all very attractive and positive factors
that an athlete would love to be able to attain legally, not compromising t
ir safety with illegal substances such as steroids, but through essentially, natural and
relatively safe means. Luring to some users are reports that results are quick and
consistent, along with increased muscle mass, and a prolonged pump during strengt
training (Sahelian, 2000). 
The creatine economy is booming. Experimental and Applied Sciences, have a stranglehold
on the creatine market, since they were instrumental in it's introduction to the sports
supplement arena, they have such athletes as Shannon Sharpe as a paid user/
dorser in EAS apparel at public appearances, and this is a great way for them to increase
exposure and their marketability, along with having a phenomenal skyrocket in sales
(Suggs, 1998). There is a simple explanation for the explosion of creatine, it
effective, legal, in most cases affordable, and it works. It helps muscles get bigger and
stronger faster, which is the basis of the strength-training regimen of some athletes.
The IOC or International Olympic Committee has not banned creatine, and a
ually considers it a food, since it cannot realistically be placed in the same categories
of substances such as anabolic steroids, this provided the ruling that it should not be
banned (Nutrition Forum, 1999). The form that is most likely and most comm
ly consumed is that of creatine monohydrate in a white powder form, it comes in a
canister or tub, and can be purchased at stores such as General Nutrition Centers (GNC).
A canister of the EAS creatine has a price of roughly $60 (Bamberger, 1998). Cre
ine is usually ingested in dosages of around 3 to 5 grams per day, and is recommended to
be preceded by a loading phase that consists of ingesting up to 20 grams a day of the
powder daily for 5 days (Gutfeld, 1997). This ensures that the muscles are eff
iently saturated with creatine. After this loading phase, a reduction to the 3-5 gram a
day dose, is recommended. Any more than what is recommended will be excreted through the
urine. Also, recommendations include ingesting the creatine with a liquid
hat is high in carbohydrates. It is believed that the high glycemic index will shuttle
creatine into the muscle very quickly, and have a higher absorption rate (Gutfeld, 1997).
Also, users and researches alike recommend checking the supplement is of h
h purity. Most manufacturers will provide a laboratory analysis upon request (Gutfeld,
1997). Some users question, what the best time of day to take creatine is, but reports
show that any time of day is acceptable, but most users chose to take it in t
time preceding their workout (Sahelian, 2000). 
There have been cases of non-responders to creatine, but the reason is not known at this
time (Sahelian, 2000). Some reported side effects of creatine include: loose stools,
which can occur with relatively small doses such as approximately 4 grams (S
elian, 2000). Higher doses have side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, dizziness,
weakness, and doses in the 20 gram and above category have seen side effects such as
kidney damage (Sahelian, 2000). The reported feelings of dehydration can be dif
sed by consuming large quantities of water, more than a gallon a day (Bamberger, 1998).
The result that is noted as most siginificant is that of weight gain. This can be
definitely a negative or positive aspect, considering which sport the athlete is 
aining for. For any sport where bulking up is required creatine would provide an
advantage, but any athlete trying to lose or maintain weight will be offset by creatines
reported effects. 
Although the long term consequences of creatine are not known at this time, it has, to
this point, proven to be safer than any illegal performance-enhancing aid, such as
anabolic steroids. Creatine supplemenation through a powder is also a viable way 
obtain the amount necessary to provide results. To obtain the recommended dosage through
our diet alone, one would have to consume anywhere from 5 to 25 pounds of meat daily
(Gutfeld, 1997). Even though creatine may have side effects, it should be us
in sport because it enables athletes to perform better and it is a legal performance
enhancing aid (drug). I believe anabolic steriods should be legalized because they are
just another form of creatine. Someday, maybe creatine research will conclude 
at it really is nature's very own steroid. 
Creatine Used in Sport
HKIN 325
March 30, 2001
Student #: 133610
Prof: Dr. Blair Whitmarsh
Bibliography
Bibliography
Murphy, Dee. "What You Should Know About Creatine." Current Health (2000): 13-14, 26
Sahelian, Ray. "Creatine - Just the FAQ's Ma'am." Better Nutrition (2000): 26-27
Nutrition Forum. "IOC Considers Creatine a Food." (1999): 9-10
Suggs, Welch. "Creatine Pays Off Despite Health Warnings." Denver Business Journal
(1998): 17, 49
Arapoff, Jason and Riley, Dan. "The Powerline View of Creatine." Scholastic Coach &
Athletic Director (1998): 12-13
Bamberger, Michael. "The Magic Potion." Sports illustrated (1998): 58-61, 88
Rose, Verna L. "Creatine Supplementation." American Family Physician (1998): 58, 1691
Gutfeld, Greg. "Stir Up Some Muscle." Men's Health (1997): 12, 90-92