FREE ESSAY ON THE FIGHT FOR CREATINE

THE FIGHT FOR CREATINE

Creatine is an amino acid that is produced in the pancreas, liver, and kidneys. The
natural creatine that is produced in the body replenishes adenosine triphosphate, which
fuels muscle use. Creatine helps to add in extra repetitions during a lifting program.
When adding in extra repetitions there are better chances of building muscle bulk. Many
people feel creatine should be banned just like anabolic steroids because of long-term
side effects. However, creatine is not as dangerous as some think and it should not be
banned.
Creatine is not only produced naturally but can also be bought as a supplement. Whether
you buy it in powder or pill form it seems to have the same effect. Within the past few
years creatine has become widely known as a supplement that can be bought to help add
bulk to a person's body. Many professional, college, and high school athletes can be seen
using this supplement during their daily workouts to help build bulk faster. Some of
these athletes have even been seen breaking records that have been around for many
years.
Mark McGwire will go down in history as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
But will his image be tarnished because of his use of androstenedione? No, because the
drug has never been banned in professional baseball. This is a drug that does many of the
same thing that creatine does. Androstenedione is naturally produced in the gonads and
adrenal gland. In the liver, it is transformed into testosterone, which encourages muscle
growth. "McGwire says "andro" helps him train harder and recover quickly from injuries"
(Schrof).
When looking at Mark McGwire you see a 6-foot 5-inch, 250-pound mass of muscle. Obviously
creatine has done something for him if he can bulk up muscle. Would he have been able to
break the home-run record without the use of creatine? It is hard to say. Even more
important, will his use of this cause lasting effects on his body? Will there be
long-term side effects or even short-term side effects that could cause him to have to
stop playing baseball (Schrof)?
When looking at some of the research one might see someone say that creatine, in
supplement form, could stop the normal production of creatine in user's body. Recent
studies show that when creatine was used in rats, it down-regulated their natural
production of creatine in their body. The studies of these rats have caused questions on
long-term effects of the use of creatine. The scientists feel that this could cause
creatine synthesis deficiency. The symptoms for this deficiency are fatigue, muscle
atrophy, poor exercise capacity, and neuromuscular deficiencies (Kreider).
The data for long-term side effects in humans is limited but there have been some
studies. They put people on creatine for five to 140 days and then watched their creatine
levels after they were taken off creatine. One study showed that after four to six weeks
the level of naturally produced creatine returned to normal. In theory, if the synthetic
creatine surpassed normal creatine production, the creatine in muscle should have dropped
below base levels. When looking at athletes who have taken creatine and have now stopped
you might expect them to show some signs of creatine synthesis deficiency. However, this
has not yet been seen. "Currently, no evidence indicates that creatine supplementation
permanently suppresses the creatine synthesis in humans" (Kreider).
Creatine could cost between 50 and 90 dollars. Despite the price and the creatine is
still very popular. Some high school football coaches even say that their athletes should
not take this drug. Not considering the advice of their coaches, some of these athletes
still take the supplement. Robert Presti, the owner of a health store in New York, says
that the creatine supplement is one of his best selling products. The controversy over
creatine has not prevented him from taking it. He says, "My body has responded well to
it" (Springen).
Some doctors say that creatine promotes dehydration and cramping. This is yet another
myth of this drug. One sign of dehydration is low electrolyte levels. With all the
studies on creatine there has never been a finding of this unless the athlete trained in
a hot and humid atmosphere. When looking at any athlete who has trained in these
conditions, dehydration could be found. Users of creatine have been known to cramp but
not any more than athletes who don't take it. There are no scientific studies that
support the idea that creatine causes cramping and dehydration (Kreider).
Doctors say the use of creatine could also cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. The
studies that show these results are rare. Even when these were some symptoms, they were
not major enough to stop taking the supplements. When these indications were noted, most
of the takers used more than the recommended dosage. With these few isolated cases,
gastrointestinal problems have not diminished the popularity of creatine among athletes
(Kreider).
"Creatine seems to work" (Sullivan). Researchers put nineteen women on a ten-week
weight-lifting program. The women on the creatine gained strength on the leg press by
forty-six percent. The women who were not on a creatine supplement only gained about
twenty-five percent of leg strength. The creatine group also gained seven pounds, which
was twice that of the controlled group. This gain of weight can be directed to muscle
mass. This shows that while taking creatine a person can gain muscle faster. Some still
think that some of this weight gain could be water, not muscle even though they are
becoming stronger (Sullivan).
The long-term side effects of creatine are unknown. This is true. No one really knows how
creatine will react with the body in the future. Some studies have been done on patients
with gyrate atrophy and infants with creatine-synthesis deficiency. In these studies,
creatine was administered at 1.5 grams to 8 grams a day for up to five years. "Available
evidence indicates that short- and long-term creatine supplementation does not pose a
medical risk when taken at recommended dosages" (Kreider).
Most studies show taking creatine leads to greater training adaptations. When an athlete
is able to train harder they are able to build more muscle faster. Building more muscle
faster means that they will be able to stronger, faster. The result of this will give
them an advantage over their opponent. They will be stronger and will be able to out
perform the opposition.
Some people ask why should high school students be taking this drug? I don't think that
they should. They should not be taking any supplements that are not natural to their
bodies. The amount of hormones that are in a normal high school student is already giving
them the energy to bulk up. The extra hormones could just cause more problems than what
will help them.
When doing research on a drug I would look at the Olympics. Most of their rules will
regulate any drug that is not appropriate for athletes even before it comes out. The
Olympic committee has not banned creatine. Therefore, why should there be an all out ban
of this drug? If anything, it should be the decision of the leagues, teams, and coaches.
Not a decision made by the government.
Bibliography
Kreider, Richard B. "6 Creatine fears: Real concern or false alarm?" Joe Weider's Muscle
& Fitness November 1999: 160-161. .
Schrof, Joannie M. "McGwire Hits the Pills." U.S. News & World Report September 7, 1998:
53-54. .
Sullivan, Dana. "Crazy for creatine." Joe Weider's Shape October 1999: 40-42. .
Springen, Karen, Marc Peyser, and Jennifer Lach. "The New Muscle Candy." Newsweek January
12, 1998. .