Creatine May Enhance Endurance

BUENA PARK, Calif.--A study reported that creatine may help an athlete's gameperformance as well as help build muscle mass. In a study published in The AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine's Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (vol. 32,issue 2), endurance tests included sprinting and cycling.

During sprints, athletes were randomly given 20 grams per day of creatine or a placebomix over a six-day period. In the creatine group, participants were .02 seconds faster infive-meter sprints and .03 seconds faster in the 15 meter. During a five-day studyinvolving the same guidelines, 14 cyclists alternated three minutes at 30 percent of theirmaximum abilities with three minutes at 90 percent. Compared with theirpre-supplementation levels, the athletes improved endurance times from 30 minutes to 37minutes.

Creatine, found naturally in the body and available in supplement form, works byhelping to replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a cellular fuel. These studies showthat creatine may help move fuel into the cell to where it is needed, causing metabolicefficiency and higher endurance levels.