CREATINE - GOOD OR EVIL?
Dateline: 04/06/98
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Creatine - Good or Evil?
If you have wondered about whether supplementing your diet with creatine is a good thing or not, join the crowd. Whether it works or not is not the main subject at hand. An estimated 75 percent of the world champion Denver Broncos, myself and other supporters offer anecdotal evidence that it helps us with size, strength, and muscular endurance in short, explosive movements and events without negative side effects. Critics argue with anecdotal evidence that it causes cramping and pulled muscles, etc. Who is right? Who should you believe?
As you can see from the above paragraph, creatine is used to help fuel workouts and other anaerobic events (weight lifting, sprinting, basketball, football, etc) to make you lift more weight and to help you go longer and faster in a short amount of time. Creatine is not intended for endurance events. The difference between the two sides is that supporters have a number of studies to support their claims without short-term side effects being demonstrated. On ESPN's popular show, Outside The Lines, many professional football players were interviewed about their use of creatine. From what I had seen, only one player reported any negative side effects that may or may not been caused by creatine supplementation.
The critics do not have any studies to back up their claims. People claiming that creatine supplementation causes cramping or injury do not have any hard evidence to support their claims. Insufficient hydration and improper warm up are just two examples of a number of things that can cause the alleged side effects of creatine supplementation. I have personally used creatine for a number of years, and I have yet to experience one negative side effect or personally hear any negative side effects from the hundreds of people that I have worked out with and talked to throughout the U.S. and overseas.
If you decide to use creatine, follow the guidelines. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated during your workout or event and warm up properly. For more in-depth coverage, explanations, detail, links to studies, and more, check out these links.
Is Creatine The One True Ergogenic
Aid?
http://localweb.com/c10/broch4.html
What Athletes Need to Know About
Creatine
http://www.runningnetwork.com/NERunner/tips/27.html
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