Is creatine produced in the body?

[IronFist]

I've heard both yes and no. I've always been told "don't take creatine for too long or your body will stop producing it on it's own," just like testosterone when you use roids. But then other people who I consider to know their stuff have told me that creatine is NOT produced by the human body.

Anyone have any studies or anything? Or better yet, just a straight answer they can give me?

Iron

[prana]

I heard yes too :) but I never take it for training, but then again, I am weak

[Paul]

I've used creatine in past and I'm thinking about starting up again.

from what I remember your body produces some of the creatine that you need. I think it was the liver and maybe one or two other organs that produce it. you get the rest of the creatine that your body needs through the food that you eat, mainly red meat and fish.

[Robinf]

http://www.absolute-creatine.com/

Try that website for info. I don't know if it's really objective, but it seemed to have some clear facts about what it is.

Robin

[hkphooey]

hey iron

i'm quoting:
"Creatine is not an herb, mineral, vitamin, hormone, or steroid. Creatine is a natural nutrient found in our bodies and the bodies of most animals. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine supply is found in the skeletal muscles. The remaining 5% is scattered throughout the rest of the body, with the highest concentrations in the heart, brain and testes.
The human body gets most of the creatine it needs from food or dietary supplements. Creatine is easily absorbed from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. When dietary consumption is inadequate to meet the body's needs, a limited supply can be synthesized from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. This creatine production occurs in the liver, pancreas and kidneys."

i have always been hesitant to even try creatine. as an 8 year vegetarian though it occured to me that i was probably very deficient in it. about 3 months ago i decided to come up with my own protocol that required considerably less intake than the "recommended dosage." my thought was that i'd just try to get a little above the intake i would have normally as a meat-eater. after 3 months i'm willing to say "wow". further data to add to my "there's more than just a protein difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians" research.

[rubthebuddha]

understand that creatine is a basic amino acid, just like taurine, proline, etc. it is naturally found in the usual animal fare. so if you think creatine is unnatural, then maybe cows are artificial.

so bodily production isn't as much of an issue as intake. as hkphoeey pointed out, an insufficient intake can be remedied very easily, and you probably don't have to take the recommended 3.5-5 grams per day to get decent results.

just make sure you drink lotsa water.

and then drink some more.

[ElPietro]

rubthebuddha is correct. Creatine is a naturally ocurring amino acid found within your body which is produced by your body. Creatine is located primarily within your muscle tissue and draws water into your muscles which give more potential strength (much more complicated but basics will do). When you supplement with creatine you are saturating your muscles which will cause them to become super-hydrated. Havning all this water in your muscle tissue will give you increased strength, it will also make your musculature appear a bit more bloated and if you are lean can make you appear more vascular as much more of your bodies water is stored within your muscles.

You don't want to take anything that will dehydrate you as this will counter any benefits of creatine.

Creatine has been used safely for quite some time and has only become popular to the casual weightlifter in the last 5-10 years. I think it came into the spotlight when Mark Mcguire admitted to using it when he won a home run title. Then everyone ran out trying to prove it was some kind of steroid giving him an unfair advantage.

Some people will tell you to pre-load your creatine...this isn't necessary as all it is doing is saturating your muscles slightly faster and you will get there without doing any heavy dosing initially. Your body won't stop producing creatine if you use it for two long. The typical cycle for creatine is 2 months on 1 month off. This is because once you are fully saturated it takes about a month to drop down to your regular levels again...so it's almost like a free month of creatine benefit without actually having to use it.

Yes you get your creatine produced mostly through the foods you eat such as red meat as someone else mentioned in here.

There are differrent forms of creatine on the market, creatine powder, micronized creatine monohydrate, and creatine serum.

Creatine powder is fine...micronized is processed more so that it has a quicker uptake into your muscles, and creatine serum is garbage. As posted elsewear in this forum creatine is NOT stable in liquid form and degenates into Creatnine very quickly...generally before it reaches stores.

Creatine uptake is maximized by mixing it with some form of sugar...dextrose is generally the preferred choice or you could use a simple sugar like that found in grape juice...I believe typically 5 grams before a workout and 5 grams after a workout are the recommended doses. If you are taking 15-20 grams of creatine in a day you will be sure to be saturated and you won't be overdosing or anything with this amount. You can use creatine when bulking or cutting...or I feel in the future it will become a regular supplement for people from all walks of life such as the elderly or disabled, as the benefits are clearly good for anyone.

Hope this helps! ;)