Powder that builds

muscle?

Elena, Jenny, and Matt

History of Creatine
● Discovered in 1832
● 1970’s nitrogen retention effects
of creatine were found to help
physical performance
● 1990s Widely used by athletes
● In the Atlanta Summer Olympics
it was estimated that 80% of
athletes were using creatine
● Nitrogen Retention
○ Refers to the nitrogen
balance
○ Nitrogen Balance = net
change in total body protein
○ When nitrogen retention is
increasing you have a more +
Nitrogen Balance
Claims

● Helps Muscle cells produce more energy

● Improves high-intensity exercise performance
● Speeds up muscle growth
● Reduce muscular fatigue 1
 How it is made Dosage and market

○ Sarcosine and ○ Recommended Dosage: 3-5

cyanamide are combined g/ day for untrained athletes
○ Milled into a fine powder and 5-10 g/day for
professional athletes
○ #1 Selling brand of all major
distributors (Ex: Amazon,
GNC) at $16/120 servings

Sarcosine Cyanamide
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Digestive system
● When creatine is consumed, it is absorbed in the small intestine where it
is then sent into the bloodstream to be distributed throughout the muscle
tissue in the body 18652081 12793840

● Major Sources: Red meat, seafood

Digestive System Cont.
Circulatory System
● Creatine is transported into the enterocytes against a large concentration
gradient through a sodium and chloride dependent transporter 18500965
● Creatine is structurally similar to amino acids and is treated as such when
it is absorbed in the small intestine into the bloodstream via an active
transport mechanism through a CreaT1 transporter 18500965

● Once in the bloodstream, creatine is

then transported to the skeletal
muscle tissue throughout the body
Integumentary System: Adipose Tissue
Mice study: Scientists depleted creatine levels in mice

Result: Higher accumulation of white adipose fat, lower glucose tolerance, and
lower metabolism rate.

Due to decreased thermogenesis 28844881

 Integumentary System:
Creatine in Skincare
● Face products with creatine is linked to reduced sagging, reduced crow’s
feet, and under eye wrinkles
○ Study was done with only 43 caucasian males
● Increases the rate of ATP generation. ATP is required for synthesis of
molecules such as collagen.
● Creatine is able to penetrate into the dermis very quickly, where it is then
taken up by fibroblasts via a cutaneous creatine transport system.
● Fibroblasts containing this creatine solution are able to stimulate collagen
synthesis, therefore aiding in the rebuilding process of damaged skin cells
22151935
Muscular System
● An enzyme called creatine kinase uses ATP to donate a phosphate group to
creatine, which generates a higher energy product named phosphocreatine
● Phosphocreatine can be stored in the muscle, to serve as a source of ATP
Muscle System Cont.
● More ATP in the muscle tissue = more energy to carry out
muscle contractions = increase in physical performance
○ One study in 2017 found that an average of 1.4 kg more
lean tissue mass was gained in adults who took creatine
compared to the placebo group
■ 29138605
Skeletal System
Creatine in the body can increase the metabolic activity of osteoblast cells,
which are involved in bone formation

Stimulating the osteoblast cells may enhance osteoprotegerin production, a

protein which inhibits osteoclast cell activity leading to a decrease in bone
resorption

Study: post menopausal women decreased femoral neck bone loss and
increased femoral shaft subperiosteal compared to women given the placebo

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Skeletal System Cont.

Indirect Effect of creatine on bone density:

Creatine is supposed to aid in muscle formation, so in

theory with a larger muscle mass it will add more stress on
the bones leading to a greater bone density

29740583
Conclusion
● Creatine, having been on the market as a popular dietary supplement for
about 30 years, has been studied in great detail in both animals and
humans
● It can be created within the body, obtained through meat sources in the
diet, and obviously taken as a supplement in powder or pill form
● Creatine has been proven to be stored within muscle tissue in order to
produce more ATP
● Other uses include being used in skin care products to improve skin
texture, and can aid in the rate of bone formation
Sources
1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-creatine
2. https://www.maxinutrition.com/nutrition/ingredients/creatine/How-Is-Creatine-Made/
3. https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Health-Personal-Care-Creatine-Nutritional-Supplements/zgbs/hpc/3773431
4. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/smallgut/absorb_aacids.html#targetText=These%20small%2
0peptides%20are%20absorbed,from%20the%20cell%20into%20blood.1
5. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/smallgut/absorb_aacids.html#targetText=These%20small%2
0peptides%20are%20absorbed,from%20the%20cell%20into%20blood.1
6. https://www.nivea.com.au/advice/ingredients/creatine
7. http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/creatine.shtml