Creatine increases muscle mass via mechanisms that remain a mystery.
Back in creatine’s infant years— the early-to-mid-‘90s— we coined the phrase ‘cell-volumizing,’ thinking (hoping) that creatine exerted its gains in mass by increasing the amount of fluid volume present inside muscle cells, and through the anabolic metabolic cascade that follows. This has never been proven to operate in humans. In his “Supplement Performance” column in January 2010 MD, Robbie Durand told us about a recent study showing that creatine monohydrate supplementation increases the dihydrotestosterone:testosterone ratio in male collegiate rubgy players.7 However, the rugby players in this study did NOT show any improvement in body composition to a dextrose placebo.
The newest spin as to how creatine monohydrate may increase muscle mass and performance comes from a study done by Iranian researchers, and it comes via the messenger called myostatin. Untrained collegiate male subjects were put through an eight-week resistance-training program, with half the subjects taking creatine monohydrate capsules (bodyweight-specific loading dose in three divided doses for one week, single maintenance dose for seven weeks), or cellulose placebo capsules— the same amounts as the creatine monohydrate group.8 Body composition, muscular strength, and blood concentrations of myostatin, and a myostatin-binding protein called… hold your breath… GASP-1, were measured throughout the study.
What did the researchers find? The creatine monohydrate group showed greater gains in lean mass, and bench and leg press after eight weeks (yawn). Notably, both training groups showed a significant drop in blood myostatin, as was seen in a previous study9 but not another.10 What made this study unique was the ‘breathtaking’ finding that GASP-1, one of the ‘inhibitors’ of myostatin, was increased by resistance training (which may explain the reduction of blood myostatin). However, creatine monohydrate supplementation did not lead to a greater increase in GASP-1.
We mortals may never know how creatine exerts its anabolic effects. We now know that creatine monohydrate can augment myostatin reductions greater than training alone, and (most importantly), the myostatin-blunting via creatine monohydrate is associated with greater strength and lean mass gains.
6. Pittas G, et al. J Sports Sci, 2010;28:67-74.
7. van der Merwe J, et al. Clin J Sport Med,2009;19:399-404.
8. Saremi A, et al. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 2010; doi:10.1016/j.mce.2009.12.019
9. Walker KS, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004;36:787-93.
10. Willoughby DS. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004;36:574-82.
Back in creatine’s infant years— the early-to-mid-‘90s— we coined the phrase ‘cell-volumizing,’ thinking (hoping) that creatine exerted its gains in mass by increasing the amount of fluid volume present inside muscle cells, and through the anabolic metabolic cascade that follows. This has never been proven to operate in humans. In his “Supplement Performance” column in January 2010 MD, Robbie Durand told us about a recent study showing that creatine monohydrate supplementation increases the dihydrotestosterone:testosterone ratio in male collegiate rubgy players.7 However, the rugby players in this study did NOT show any improvement in body composition to a dextrose placebo.
The newest spin as to how creatine monohydrate may increase muscle mass and performance comes from a study done by Iranian researchers, and it comes via the messenger called myostatin. Untrained collegiate male subjects were put through an eight-week resistance-training program, with half the subjects taking creatine monohydrate capsules (bodyweight-specific loading dose in three divided doses for one week, single maintenance dose for seven weeks), or cellulose placebo capsules— the same amounts as the creatine monohydrate group.8 Body composition, muscular strength, and blood concentrations of myostatin, and a myostatin-binding protein called… hold your breath… GASP-1, were measured throughout the study.
What did the researchers find? The creatine monohydrate group showed greater gains in lean mass, and bench and leg press after eight weeks (yawn). Notably, both training groups showed a significant drop in blood myostatin, as was seen in a previous study9 but not another.10 What made this study unique was the ‘breathtaking’ finding that GASP-1, one of the ‘inhibitors’ of myostatin, was increased by resistance training (which may explain the reduction of blood myostatin). However, creatine monohydrate supplementation did not lead to a greater increase in GASP-1.
We mortals may never know how creatine exerts its anabolic effects. We now know that creatine monohydrate can augment myostatin reductions greater than training alone, and (most importantly), the myostatin-blunting via creatine monohydrate is associated with greater strength and lean mass gains.
6. Pittas G, et al. J Sports Sci, 2010;28:67-74.
7. van der Merwe J, et al. Clin J Sport Med,2009;19:399-404.
8. Saremi A, et al. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 2010; doi:10.1016/j.mce.2009.12.019
9. Walker KS, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004;36:787-93.
10. Willoughby DS. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004;36:574-82.
anche io bro!
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