The basics of Creatine
When most people hear ‘I started creatine supplements’, they instantly think about the gym and building muscle. Creatine is much more than that. Creatine plays a crucial role in regulating high-energy phosphate metabolism and maintaining cellular energy turnover.
Creatine promotes energy creation, transport and distribution to various systems with high requirements such as:
Heart muscle
Skeletal muscle system (used for temperature control and daily movement)
Brain
Source: News- Medical.net
Some of the benefits of creatine include:
1. Improved recovery from exercise
2. Increased resistance to the onset of depressive episodes
3. Decreased length of depressive episodes
4. Promotion of muscle growth
In recent years, an increase focus has arisen in supplementation or exposure to specific nutrients, and the female bodies has come into light again. One of which is the role of creatine. Due to the complexities of the female body, there has been inherent differences noted in the endogenous creatine synthesis, transport and creatine kinase expression suggest that significant changes in this cellular energy circuit occur during specific stages of a female’s reproductive life, including pregnancy and menopause. This we shall be discussing in the following months.
In short: women produce amounts of endogenous creatine that were consistently 70–80 % lower than males. Females aged 20-39 years old are also observed to consume 25% less creatine via their diet than their male counterparts. This leaves women open to potential decreased training abilities and more vulnerable to depression.
Perhaps a creatine supplement is what you need to help you with your slump- performance or mentally speaking...
Until next time
Shelldon Athena Breda, registered dietitian, M.Sc.
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