I keep getting recommended the use of creatine as I stay consistent at working out. But apart from increasing protein, I don’t fully understand how creatine functions in the body and if it’s necessary in lifting weights.
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Creatine is a chemical inside the muscles that stores phosphate. Why is that important?
Because the main chemical that your body’s cells use for energy is called ATP. It’s a compound called adenosine, with three phosphates (adenosine triphosphate), and the body “spends” the energy by removing one of the phosphates.
Creatine can spend its stored phosphate to put a phosphate back on the ATP, letting the body use it again.
Because of this, creatine gives you slightly more energy when you work out. It’s not a huge boost, but it helps you do a few more reps.
So then after the workout, high creatine levels also help you restore ATP levels quicker, to recover from the workout better.
It isn’t a huge change, but it’s positive. It isn’t strictly necessary, but creatine is really well-studied and there aren’t really any downsides of creatine supplementation at normal levels, unless if you took an excessive amount that’s more than your body can absorb, then the wasted creatine absorbs water and you might get some diarrhea. 5g per day is the normal routine dose. I’ve never had diarrhea from that.
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