Creatine

Creatine Monohydrate used to be a hot item in weight training and conversations at the gym. But when it was revealed some years ago that many top athletes were big-time steroid users, creatine received undeserved criticism.

Creatine is not a steroid and is not illegal. Nevertheless, when substance abuse was mentioned in the news, creatine would often get swept onto a reporter's list of dangerous or illegal substances.

We don't hear as much about creatine anymore, but some subscribers have mentioned using it. I had almost forgotten that its safety and legality were ever in question.

Creatine has been around the bodybuilding world and athletics for many years now. It is one of a few bodybuilding supplements that so far as we know is both safe, when taken in appropriate amounts, and actually does what is claimed.

Athletes have used it because it helps in their ability to perform short bursts of speed and power and to develop strength and muscle when coupled with resistance exercise.

Decades ago, I used creatine for several months and became somewhat stronger and my muscles felt fuller. So it worked as promised and there were no negative side effects. Why then, did I stop taking it? Because the long-term effects at the time were still unknown.

Now many years have passed and, as far as I know, there are no reported long-term ill effects.

Younger seniors especially may still be interested in pushing their limits as far as muscle growth and /or power are concerned. Can creatine help them? I came across the following report in Science Daily. It is from a 2007 double-blind study on creatine.

"Creatine In Addition To Exercise Enhances Strength In Older Adults.

"While exercise is a proven way to prevent the loss of muscle mass, a new study led by McMaster researcher Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky shows that taking a combination of creatine monohydrate (CrM) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in addition to resistance exercise training provides even greater benefits.

"The study to be published on Oct. 3 in PLoS One, involved 19 men and 20 women who were 65 years or older and took part in a six-month program of regular resistance exercise training.

"In the randomized double-blind trial, some of the participants were given a daily supplement of creatine (a naturally produced compound that supplies energy to muscles) and linoleic acid (a naturally occurring fatty acid), while others were given a placebo. All participants took part in the same exercise program.

"The exercise training resulted in improvements of functional ability and strength in all participants, but those taking the CrM and CLA showed even greater gains in muscle endurance, an increase in fat-free mass, and a decrease in the percentage of body fat.

”This data confirms that supervised resistance exercise training is safe and effective for increasing strength and function in older adults and that a combination of CrM and CLA can enhance some of the beneficial effects of training over a six-month period.

"This study provides functional outcomes that build on an earlier mechanistic study co-led by Tarnopolsky and Dr. S. Melov at the Buck Institute of Age Research, published in PLoS One this year, which provided evidence that six months of resistance exercise reversed some of the muscle gene expression abnormalities associated with the aging process."

As always, however, I recommend talking with your personal physician about any supplements you are considering.

Stay healthy. Stay fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

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Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com