SUPPLEMENT USERS HANDBOOK SAMPLE CHAPTER: Creatine

So as I'm busy writing up THE SUPPLEMENT USERS HANDBOOK that will feature all the normal supplements that you get on the market that will answer the most frequently asked questions

- How to take? 

- Best value?

- What to bother with?

This will be up for download in PDF format when completed. So, just to give you guys a look at how it'll be written, I've shown a sample chapter on CREATINE. 

CREATINE 
An organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates that helps supply energy to the muscles and the rest of the body’s cells. Creatine helps in the formation of Adenosine Triphosphate  (ATP) which is  an energy bearing molecule that helps with the transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contractions and other internal bodily tasks that require energy.

Creatine can be naturally ingested through meat and fish and is a natural occurring Amino Acid that is synthesized in the body.

There are many types of Creatine on the market and here’s a list of them

- Creatine Monohydrate
- Micronized Creatine
- Creatine HCL
- Creatine Ethyl Ester
- Creatine Serum
- Effervescent Creatine
- Creatine Citrate
- Tri & Di Creatine Malate
- Creatine Kre-Alkalyn
- Creatine Orate
…and the list goes on and on…and on

We’ll look at the most common creatine supplements for the sake of not making this chapter into a book of its own

SIDE EFFECTS OF CREATINE

Everybody handles supplements differently and while most people might not experience any side effects from creatine supplementation, others might. The side effects from creatine are mild when used at the recommended dosages - however, you will always get people who take it a step to far.

The main problems people might face when hitting larger doses of creatine, such as in loading, are: stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle cramping.

There has been much speculation on creatine and its effects on the kidneys – A study done by the University of Sao Paulo (Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008 May;103(1):33-40) came up with the result that when followed on a dosing of 0.3g/kg/day that creatine monohydrate actually allowed for greater functioning of the kidneys.

Something else we need to look at is Creatine and Caffeine combinations. Do they effect each other? Yes.
A study done at the University of Luton [Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Nov; 34(11): 1785-92.] suggested that if you take caffeine on a regular basis that it cancels out the effects of creatine. However doses that are separated over a couple days actually help in performance.

Take away notes: If you’re taking creatine and you really want to make it work, lay off daily caffeine intake and DOSE ACCORDINGLY!

TYPES AND DOSAGE PROTOCOLS

As always, in the fitness industry there will always be people who will argue on the effects of different dosing protocols/supplements and even though creatine has been tested time and time again, people will still argue on how to take it. So I’ve tried to be as neutral as possible and have tried to source as many references as possible.

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE

The most common dosing protocol is that of the “Loading Phase”. The Loading phase entails individuals to ingest 20-25g’s of Creatine for the first 5-7 days before going into a maintenance stage of around 5g’s a day.

A study done by the Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, loading does have its place. They concluded that the loading of 20g’s of creatine monohydrate a day increased muscle free creatine, creatine phosphate and total creatine content.

According to certain experts, loading helps supersaturate your muscles with creatine compared to a non-loading protocol.  Richard Kreider, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation and Director of the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory and Center for Exercise, Nutrition & Preventive Health Research at Baylor University states that a loading phase of 0.3g/kg/day for 5-7 days is optimal.  This would be administered through dosages throughout the day and not in one giant go. 

Loading however, is costly and if you’re not an elite athlete, power lifter or body builder, loading might not be thing for you.  By not following the loading protocol, you will also skip the water retention that comes with large doses of creatine.

A study by American sports scientists at Bloomsburg University showed that 2gs of Creatine Mono a day showed that the test subjects’ maximal strength didn’t increase however, their fatigue resistance did. Along with that, they didn’t pick up any extra water weight. This was performed on 20 healthy men and women.

If you’re not going to load or see a reason to be loading, then a dosage of around 5g’s a day is what seems to be the norm and what it’ll most likely tell you in the directions on your creatine monohydrate supplement packaging. Slightly more exact approach would be 0.075g/kg/day

Creatine Monohydrate is usually the go-to creatine supplement. It is also the most affordable option.

NOTE: Dosing of ?/kg/day is done on fat-free mass. Not overall weight.

CREATINE HYDROCHLORIDE (HCL)

Creatine HCL was patented in 2009 and is relatively new to the supplement scene and according to a study done by Vireo Systems, creatine HCL was found to be 59x more soluble than that of creatine monohydrate.  This increase in solubility results in a significant increase in bioavailability 
 *Bioavailability: This refers to the amount of unchanged drug that actually reaches your systemic circulation which carries blood away from the heart and to the body. 

Dosing protocols for creatine HCL are completely different to that of monohydrate and pretty much all others - HCL requires no loading phase. It results in no water retention or bloating and it makes use of micro-dosing.

Micro-dosing is based on individual body weight. A serving is usually ¼ teaspoon of Creatine Hcl per 100lbs of body weight.

Creatine HCL is the most expensive type of creatine on the market as it is of the highest grade. If you’ve got the money, this might be something for you. If not, no stress. Creatine Monohydrate is your cheap friend.

CREATINE ETHYL ESTER (CEE)

Creatine Ethyl Ester is a just normal creatine with an ester bonded to it. Esters allow for an increase in absorption, helps eliminate bloating and dehydration one might suffer from under larger doses of monohydrate.

There is much debate over how effective CEE actually is. The University of Tulsa’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry state that CEE is extremely unstable when in the bloodstream and that it takes minutes for it to breakdown into creatine and ethanol. This rapid breakdown is more than likely faster than what the muscle cells can actually absorb and thus makes it no different to that of monohydrate.

According to Ergo-log.com, CEE is best taken directly before a training session.

Personally, I would just stick to monohydrate. We know how it works, we know how much to take and it’s cheaper.

CREATINE KRE-ALKALYN

CKA is claimed to be free of unwanted creatinine (breakdown product of creatine) conversion and thus eliminates the need for a loading phase and allows for smaller serving sizes.

That being said, CKA finds itself in the same boat as Creatine Ethyl-Ester.  Studies have yielded results that are insignificant when taking recommended doses between Creatine Monohydrate and Creatine Kre-Alkalyn.

Studies by Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab, Texas A&M University reported;

• “Recommended daily doses of Kre-Alkyln does not increase muscle creatine content as much as normal amounts of CrM. Kre-Alkalyn (at recommended or equivalent doses) is not more efficacious than creatine monohydrate in promoting changes in muscle creatine content and/or training adaptations”.

• “Kre-Alkalyn supplementation does not exhibit a safer clinical profile or have less side effects in comparison to creatine monohydrate”

So the only difference would be the effects of bloating and loading compared to that of good old fashioned monohydrate

CONCLUSION

From the papers, resources and countless hours of trying to find information, I would say that the only two Creatine supplements that you should be worrying about would be CREATINE HCL and the tried and tested MONOHYDRATE.

There are many variations of creatine and just like most supplements out there, most of which are probably a waste of time and money.

Creatine Monohydrate has been tested countless times and each and every time, it holds its ground. That speaks for itself.

Is creatine safe? yes it is. Most things are until they are abused and creatine is no different. Dose accordingly and be safe.

Should you be taking it? Well, if you want to make the most of your work outs and increase your potential, then yes you should. Creatine should be one of the staples in your supplement arsenal however, remember that if you are going to spend the cash, cut down on caffeine intake otherwise, your creatine will be rendered close to useless. 

References 
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/creatine
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12546637
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20591625

http://www.utulsa.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-engineering-and-natural-sciences/departments-and-schools/Department-of-Chemistry-and-Biochemistry/Research/analysis-of-creatine-ethyl-ester.aspx
http://www.utulsa.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-engineering-and-natural-sciences/departments-and-schools/Department-of-Chemistry-and-Biochemistry/Research/analysis-of-creatine-ethyl-ester.aspx 
http://www.ergo-log.com/cee2.html
http://exerciseandsportnutritionlab.com/krealkalynvscreatinemonohydrate
http://www.ergo-log.com/kre-alkalyn-vs-creapure-werkzaamheid.pdf
http://www.ergo-log.com/kre-alkalyn-vs-creapure-veiligheid.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188581 
http://www.ergo-log.com/creatine.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine_supplements
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/animalpak22.htm
http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/muscle/creatine-101.php
http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/trainer-qa-do-i-need-to-load-creatine

http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/supplements/the-truth-about-creatine/
http://www.predatornutrition.com/blog/2012/04/13/creatine-ethyl-ester-under-the-microscope/
http://www.elitedeliverytech.com/clinical.pdf
http://www.vpxsports.com/article-detail/krealkalyn-proven-less-effective-than-creatine-monohydrate
http://www.ergo-log.com/creatinecaffeine.html