The Southwest Voice

All > Columnists > Fitness
A Perfect Fit: Oh no, my son wants to take Creatine!
Topics:
Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 1195 times
0 responses 0 comments I know this is supposed to be a fitness article, but when I was told that many of the readers of The Southwest Voice are women, I thought about the fact that a lot of you ladies have sons and daughters who lift weights for other sports, and a lot of these kids will be exposed to the sports nutrition world. 

Moms and other significant women in charge will (rightfully) have concerns and fears about what Junior or Missy might be ingesting.

The media has done a fantastic job of creating a paranoia in this country that is virtually baseless. I say virtually only because I certainly haven't read everything or seen every T.V. special report, but I can honestly say that what I have seen or heard is simply ignorance as it relates to sports nutrition. This is especially true as it relates to Creatine. The same nonsense (my opinion here) has occurred regarding Ephedrine, and as a result a perfectly legitimate and safe (my opinion again) product has been railroaded out of town.

But that's another story for another time. For now, let's take a look at Creatine.

Creatine is found in nature, primarily in red meat. So when you ingest meat, you ingest creatine. Creatine is good. Goooood Creatine. Because of the cost of extraction, the Creatine you find in bottles was not derived from meat. It just isn't cost effective or practical. The product you buy at the store is manmade from two chemicals in what is known as a reactor. The end result is safe and one of the best supplements ever made for athletic use.

What does it do? Creatine is basically a muscle endurance enhancer. If you know what muscles are and you understand the concept of endurance, you got it. Endurance is a key element in athletic performance, whether it is lifting weights, playing football, swimming, playing tennis, whatever. With greater Creatine reserves within the muscle, an athlete's level of endurance is positively affected.

It is true that cases of excessive muscle cramps have been noted in some individuals who consume Creatine, but if sufficient water intake is kept up this problem is usually nonexistent. Some athletes have complained about stomach cramps when using creatine. This is usually caused by taking too much at one time or over a short period of time, commonly referred to as the loading phase. This is not a serious side effect, but rather something that is simply uncomfortable and can easily be controlled by decreasing the dose.

These minor side effects are, in my opinion, greatly outweighed by the benefits of using Creatine. Put simply, the athlete who uses Creatine will, in most cases, have a measurable advantage over the identical athlete who does not use Creatine.

What kind of Creatine should my Johnny or Sarah Jane use? This generally requires an experimental period during which the individual tries several different forms to see which one fits his or her needs best.

There are many forms of Creatine on the market, many of which are low grade, poor absorbing, cheap, filler filled, imported, non-tested, potency depleted junk! Now before you worry about the “imported” portion of my last sentence keep in mind the best Creatine comes from Germany and now Korea. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not in the mix here for world standards of quality. The good news, however, is that there is a seal that you can look for on bottles that should eliminate most concerns about quality. Look for “Creapure” on the bottle and you have a good choice.

Better yet, look for Kre-Alkalyn Creatine and you also eliminate the water retention, cramping and bloating issues. 

Creatine is not an anabolic steroid. It is safe even for preteen athletes to use, although I don't know that it should be used in developmental stages. Not so much for safety issues, but rather for practical reasons.

So if your 16-year-old football player asks about using Creatine, rest assured that Creatine has been researched probably more than any other sports nutrition product and continually comes up with a “safe to use” rating. To my knowledge there has not been one scientifically-based conclusion indicating anything to the contrary.

Keep in mind that just because I am comfortable with teenage athletes using Creatine doesn't mean I am right. I believe I am right based upon what I know. Yes, I sell sports nutrition, but I was using supplements for 20 years before I ever sold any, and my convictions are based primarily on education and personal use in my own career as a competitive powerlifter.

As always, I welcome any questions or input, and please take the time to stop in anytime to speak with me personally. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have. 

E-mail Ken at: wheelersfitness1@sbcglobal.net

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation