The Creatine Report - Everything You Need to Know (Is it safe?)

April 26, 2023

The Power of Creatine: Unlocking your Athletic Performance, Muscle Growth, and Brain Function

Creatine is the most researched and scientifically studied supplement of all-time. With health benefits ranging from building muscle to improved cognitive function – creatine is dollar for dollar the most cost efficient and effective supplement ever created. The problem is many people believe that all creatine supplements are created equal. This false notion can lead to individuals consuming inferior creatine products that don’t maximize their full potential.

In conjunction with a health diet and proper workout program – creatine can be an effective tool for helping athletes and everyday gym goers improve their performance and overall health. In this piece, we’ll dive into the benefits of creatine and why you should only consume high-quality creatine supplements.

What is Creatine?

Many people are unaware that creatine occurs naturally in the body or can be obtained through the consumption of certain foods. Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that helps to supply energy to muscle cells throughout the body. However, there is more than one type of creatine – with creatine monohydrate and creatine nitrate being the main varieties found in commonly sold supplement products.

Creatine is made up of three amino acids including L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. Although only one percent of creatine in the body is found in the blood, 95% is found within skeletal muscle. It can be obtained from various food sources, such as steak, but is also produced naturally in the body. Consumption of creatine can provide a number of health benefits if consumed regularly.

Building Muscle

Bodybuilders and gym goers have consumed creatine for decades due to its efficacy. Studies have shown that creatine is an efficient form of supplementation for muscle growth when combined with proper training regimens (1). An analysis of over 250 studies on popular muscle building supplements found that creatine provided the most muscle building benefits (2) and women experienced a 60% greater increase in lean mass compared to placebo groups (3). Research clearly shows that when it comes to building muscle, creatine is the most effective supplement along with adequate protein consumption.

Improving Strength

ATP energy is the main fuel source for high-intensity exercise. Creatine can help increase phosphocreatine levels – helping to increase ATP energy production, in turn helping to improve strength and power (4). Studies performed showed that over a 4 week period, consuming protein led to an 18 pound increase in the bench press and a 20% greater workload (5). Squat performance also drastically increased (6).

Aside from improving strength, creatine also can drastically minimize the occurrence of injury and helps prevent muscle damage. Recovery is also greatly improved as resistance training can reduce cramping due to its antioxidant properties.

Increasing Bone Density

One of the lesser known effects of creatine use is bone mass density. Combined with regular strength training, creatine can help make the bones more dense. One study found that creatine improved total bone density along with increased density of the lower leg muscles (7).

Creatine also can help prevent injuries by increasing bone strength – thereby decreasing the likelihood of injury.

Enhancing Cognition

While creatine has many athletic benefits, it can also improve mental cognition and provide neuroprotective properties. A study performed on over 281 individuals found that short term memory and intelligence/reasoning was improved with regular creatine administration. Cognitive functions such as long-term memory, spatial memory, memory scanning, and reaction time improved in certain populations of individuals (8).

Other studies have found that creatine may be beneficial to brain health (e.g. cognitive processing, brain function, and recovery from trauma). As you can see the benefits to creatine use go beyond the physical and can actually improve overall mental cognitive function.

What is the Best Quality Creatine?

The efficacy of supplements can oftentimes come down to quality – especially when it comes to creatine. However, many times supplements on the market can contain heavy metals or creatinine waste products, making the final product much less effective overall. Supplement products with heavy metals can cause potential health dangers such as weakness, bone damage, and kidney damage.

One study reviewed 33 samples of creatine supplements on the market and found that 44% of them contained the organic contaminant creatinine. Heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead were also found in the product.

Individuals should choose products that have been specifically undergone rigorous BSCG finished product testing so you can ensure you’re getting the best creatine products on the market. BSCG offers Olympic level testing to finished product brands, to verify ingredient identity and label claims meet specifications while also checking for heavy metals, pesticides, and solvents.

If you want the highest quality creatine products on the market, XEELA Clean Creatine has you covered. As a 100% safe and effective product for athletes and active individuals alike – you can rest assured that you’re receiving the best quality product on the market every time.

We’re here to help you reach your fitness and lifestyle goals in every aspect of your life. What are you waiting for? Make a change and start living better today!

Kind regards,

Sean Torbati

Product Formulator - Xeela Fitness

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