In short:
Creatine helps maintain a continuous energy supply to your muscles during your workout.
In detail:
- Creatine supplements increase your muscles’ phosphocreatine (PCr) stores
- Phosphocreatine aids the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the key molecule your cells use for energy and all basic life functions
- During exercise ATP is broken down to adenosine diphosphate (ADP)
- Creatine Kinase (CK) uses PCr + ADP to replenish the ATP that was just used
- The rate of ATP resynthesis limits your ability to continually perform at maximum intensity, as you use ATP faster than you reproduce it
- The creatine in Crea Bars increases your phosphocreatine stores, allowing you to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during high-intensity exercise
Only the best creatine for you!
Crea Bars collaborates with Creapure®, which is the gold standard when it comes to creatine. It is produced by Alzchem Trostberg GmbH at the specially-designed production facility in Trostberg. Creapure® is the most widely studied form of creatine and is proven to be safe and effective. When purchasing Creapure® supplements, you can be assured that you are using one of the best and most reliable products on the market.
Benefits of creatine
Supports muscle energy metabolism
Improves high-intensity sports performance
Speeds up muscle growth
Supports muscular recovery
Frequently asked questions
Is creatine safe?
Yes.
Along with creatine’s diverse benefits, it’s one of the safest supplements available. It has been researched for more than 200 years, and numerous studies support its safety for long-term use. Clinical trials lasting up to 5 years report no adverse effects in healthy individuals.
Is creatine an anabolic steroid?
No.
Because creatine has a completely different chemical structure, it is not an anabolic steroid.
Is a creatine ‘loading-phase’ required?
No.
Accumulating evidence indicates that you do not have to ‘load’ creatine. Lower, daily dosages of creatine supplementation (i.e. 3-5 g/day) are effective for increasing intramuscular creatine stores, muscle accretion and muscle performance/recovery.
Does creatine lead to water retention?
No.
While there is some evidence to suggest that creatine supplementation increases water retention, primarily attributed to increases in intracellular volume, over the short term, there are several other studies suggesting it does not alter total body water (intra or extracellular) relative to muscle mass over longer periods of time. As a result, creatine supplementation may not lead to water retention.
Does creatine increase fat mass?
No.
Creatine supplementation does not increase fat mass across a variety of populations.
Is creatine only useful for resistance / power type activities?
No.
There is a variety of athletic events, not just resistance/power activities, which may benefit from creatine supplementation.
Does creatine cause kidney damage/renal dysfunction?
No.
Experimental and controlled research indicates that creatine supplementation, when ingested at recommended dosages, does not result in kidney damage and/or renal dysfunction in healthy individuals.
Does creatine cause hair loss / baldness?
No.
The current body of scientific evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness.
Does creatine lead to dehydration and muscle cramping?
No.
Experimental and clinical research does not validate the notion that creatine supplementation causes dehydration and muscle cramping.
Is creatine harmful for children and adolescents?
No.
Based on the limited evidence, creatine supplementation appears safe and potentially beneficial for children and adolescents.
Is creatine beneficial for older adults?
Yes.
There is growing body of evidence showing that creatine supplementation, particularly when combined with exercise, provides musculoskeletal and performance benefits in older adults.
Is creatine only effective for males?
No.
There is accumulating evidence that creatine supplementation has the potential to be a multifactorial therapeutic intervention across the lifespan in females, with little to no side effects.
Are other forms of creatine similar or superior to monohydrate and is creatine stable in solutions/ beverages?
No.
While some forms of creatine may be more soluble than creatine monohydrate when mixed in fluid, evidence-based research clearly shows creatine monohydrate to be the optimal choice.
Sources:
- Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on thesubstantiation of health claims related to creatine and increase in physical performance during short-term, high intensity,repeated exercise bouts (ID 739, 1520, 1521, 1522, 1523, 1525, 1526, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534, 1922, 1923, 1924), increasein endurance capacity (ID 1527, 1535), and increase in endurance performance (ID 1521, 1963) pursuant to Article 13(1) ofRegulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2011;9(7):2303. [24 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2303. Available online:www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal