Written by: Brett Denton, Kvell Fitness
As a mom, it's natural to be concerned about what your teenagers are putting into their bodies, especially when it comes to supplements like creatine. Your child might hear about creatine at the gym, practice, or from coaches and peers, and it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what creatine is and how it can affect them. This guide aims to answer your questions and provide the necessary information to make informed decisions.
What is creatine and what does it do in the body?
Creatine is a substance that's naturally found in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. Chemically speaking, it shares many similarities with amino acids, and your body can produce it from the amino acids glycine and arginine. About 95% of the body's creatine is stored in muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The remaining 5% is found in the brain, kidneys, and liver.
When you supplement with creatine, you increase your stores of phosphocreatine. This is a form of stored energy in the cells, as it helps your body produce more of a high-energy molecule called ATP. ATP is often called the body's energy currency; when you have more ATP, your body can perform better during exercise.
Creatine also has other effects, including:
Enhanced Energy Production: It increases the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles, allowing for quicker regeneration of ATP, which is used as energy during muscle contractions.
Increased Muscle Mass: Creatine can boost the water content in muscle cells, causing them to swell slightly and produce signals for muscle growth.
Improved High-Intensity Exercise Performance: Creatine enhances various factors, including strength, ballistic power, sprint ability, muscle endurance, resistance to fatigue, and muscle recovery.
Accelerated Muscle Growth: Creatine has been shown to promote muscle mass growth more effectively when combined with weight training. This is due to its ability to increase work load and volume in exercise sessions.
Creatine is one of the most popular and effective supplements for improving strength and muscle mass. It is widely used by athletes, bodybuilders, wrestlers, sprinters, and others who want to gain muscle, enhance strength, and improve exercise performance.
What is the Correct Dose?
The standard dose of creatine for teenagers is typically around 3-5 grams per day. This dosage is sufficient to increase muscle creatine stores and improve performance without overloading the body . It's crucial to ensure that your teen follows this dosage and doesn't exceed it without consulting a healthcare professional.
Safe and Recommended Brands
There are numerous creatine products on the market, and it can be challenging to choose the right one. Look for brands that offer pure creatine monohydrate, as it is the most researched and proven form. Some recommended brands include:
Eniva Health (the brand I use personally)
Optimum Nutrition
MuscleTech
BulkSupplements
Transparent Labs
These brands are known for their quality and purity, ensuring your teen gets a safe and effective product.
Importance of Hydration
Drinking plenty of water is essential when taking creatine. Creatine can draw water into the muscles, leading to dehydration if insufficient fluids are consumed. Ensure your teen drinks a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water daily to stay hydrated and support the creatine's effects.
Appropriate Age for Taking Creatine
Most experts recommend creatine supplementation only for teenagers aged 16 and older. Younger adolescents are still growing, and their bodies may not respond to supplements in the same way as older teens. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.
Reasons to Avoid Creatine
While creatine is generally safe for most teenagers, there are specific circumstances where it might not be advisable. These include:
Pre-existing kidney issues.
Dehydration.
Certain medications that might interact with creatine.
If your teen has any health concerns, it's best to consult a doctor before starting creatine.
Combining Creatine with Protein Powder
Creatine and protein powder can be used together. Protein powder helps in muscle repair and growth, while creatine boosts performance and muscle mass. This combination can be particularly effective for teenagers involved in intense training programs.
The Role of Pre-Workout Supplements
Pre-workout supplements often contain stimulants and other ingredients designed to enhance performance. If your teen uses creatine, it's important to check if their pre-workout supplement also contains creatine to avoid exceeding the recommended dose. A balanced approach is key to ensuring safety and effectiveness.
Using Creatine in the Off-Season
Creatine can still be beneficial during the off-season. It helps maintain muscle mass and strength gains made during the active season. Encourage your teen to continue their creatine regimen, but remind them to stay active and maintain a balanced diet.
Creatine for Bulking and Gains
Creatine is highly effective for those looking to bulk up and gain muscle mass. It enhances strength and performance, allowing for more intense workouts and better muscle growth. Ensure your teen follows a well-rounded training program to maximize these benefits.
Creatine for Caloric Intake and Growth
Creatine is not a caloric supplement and should not be used solely to increase caloric intake. Its primary function is to improve performance and muscle energy. For overall growth, focus on a balanced diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Suitable for Both Boys and Girls
Creatine is safe and effective for both boys and girls. The benefits of improved performance, strength, and muscle mass apply equally to both genders. However, individual needs and responses may vary, so it's important to monitor how your teen's body responds to creatine.
Pros and Cons of Creatine Supplementation for Teen Athletes
Pros:
Improved Performance: Creatine can enhance strength, power, and endurance, helping athletes perform better in their sports.
Increased Muscle Mass: It supports muscle growth, benefiting teens looking to bulk up.
Safe and Well-Researched: Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements and is generally considered safe when used correctly.
Cons:
Risk of Dehydration: Creatine can cause dehydration if not enough water is consumed.
Not Suitable for Everyone: Teens with certain health conditions, such as kidney issues, should avoid creatine.
Potential Overuse: Without proper guidance, teens may take more than the recommended dose, which can lead to adverse effects.
Creatine supplementation is commonly associated with strength and power athletes, but it also benefits endurance athletes, albeit in different ways. Here’s how creatine impacts these two types of athletes differently:
Strength Athletes
For strength athletes, such as weightlifters and bodybuilders, the primary benefits of creatine include:
Increased Phosphocreatine Stores: Creatine increases the amount of phosphocreatine in the muscles, which can produce more ATP (the key energy molecule) during short, intense bursts of activities like lifting weights.
Improved Workload: With more ATP available, athletes can perform more reps at a higher intensity during training sessions, which is crucial for building muscle and strength.
Enhanced Recovery: Creatine helps reduce muscle cell damage and inflammation following exhaustive exercises, leading to quicker recovery and the ability to train hard more frequently.
Muscle Volumization: Creatine causes muscle cells to hold more water, increasing their volume and potentially triggering processes that lead to muscle growth.
Long Distance Athletes
Creatine's benefits for endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners or cyclists, are less direct but still valuable:
Improved Anaerobic Capacity: While endurance sports primarily rely on aerobic energy systems, there are moments in training and competition (like a final sprint or climbing a steep hill) that require quick bursts of energy. Creatine can enhance performance in these short, high-intensity segments.
Increased Muscle Strength: Greater strength can improve efficiency in movement patterns, which can be beneficial over long distances. For instance, stronger leg muscles can help runners or cyclists maintain form and speed over longer periods, reducing overall fatigue.
Enhanced Recovery: Creatine supports quicker recovery between training sessions, which benefits endurance athletes who often engage in multiple high-intensity workouts each week.
Reduced Muscle Breakdown: Some evidence suggests that creatine might help reduce muscle and protein breakdown during intense exercise, which can be advantageous during long training sessions or races.
Combined Effects
Both types of athletes benefit from creatine's ability to enhance high-intensity performance and accelerate recovery. The differences lie in how these benefits are applied:
Strength athletes leverage the immediate energy production and muscle-building aspects of creatine.
Endurance athletes benefit from the improved efficiency in high-intensity bursts that occur within longer sessions and the enhanced recovery that allows for consistent, high-volume training.
Overall, while creatine is a staple supplement in strength sports, its emerging role in endurance sports highlights its broad utility in different athletic disciplines, helping athletes maximize performance across a spectrum of energy demands.
As a mom, ensuring your teenager's health and safety is paramount. Understanding the correct use and benefits of creatine can help you make informed decisions. Encourage your teen to follow the recommended guidelines, stay hydrated, and consult with healthcare professionals when necessary. With the right approach, creatine can be a valuable tool in their fitness journey.
Stay informed and proactive about your teenager's nutritional supplements. If you're considering creatine for your teen, start with a conversation with their coach or a healthcare professional to ensure it's the right choice for their needs and goals. Let's help our teens achieve their best, both on and off the field.
Brett’s passion to extend the limits of human potential and to help people live a richer and fuller life is what drove him to found Kvell and set out on a mission to create the optimal fitness experience in the world. The idea of having a place where people come to grow and transform is what motivates him every day. He specializes in helping those who are strapped for time but want to take control of their body, health, and fitness…those who want to live an optimized high-performing life.
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