Creatine increases muscle mass gains?

Is creatine effective for muscle growth?

Creatine is an organic compound which is naturally present in our bodies. It is mainly stored in muscles where it can be utilized for short and fast energy production. Therefore, it could be speculated that creatine supplementation can further improve creatine levels and thereby improve exercise performance and training adaptations.

This study investigated whether creatine supplementation increases muscle mass gains during 8 weeks of resistance training. The training program allowed personal progression. This is important, because creatine supplementation potentially allows you to train harder.

Subjects were recreational athletes and were randomly assigned to receive daily creatine (0.0625 g/kg lean tissue mass) supplementation or a placebo.

Indeed, creatine supplementation increased muscle creatine levels, strength and muscle mass gains. This increase was greater in subjects with lower starting levels of creatine (which was the case in vegetarian subjects).  

Hydration status was also measured as it is often suggested that creatine supplementation increases water retention. However, creatine did not result in a greater increase in total body water or water in muscle cells when compared to the placebo group.  

Therefore, creatine supplementation appears to improve “dry” muscle mass gains during resistance training.

Study:
Burke et al. Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2003

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