|
Endogenous creatine, which is already in skeletal muscle, assists in
recharging adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-carrying molecule, by
transferring a high-energy phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP).
Although there has been a considerable amount of research on
the properties of creatine, there is no conclusive answer as to exactly how
creatine supplements work. However, there are several proposed mechanisms:
-
Increased intramuscular creatine may help maintain a high
ATP/ADP ratio
-
Creatine phosphate may buffer protons accumulating in the
acidic environment of anaerobic exercise
-
Creatine may help energy transfer from the mitochondria to
sites of ATP use in a process described as the creatine phosphate energy shuttle
-
Excess creatine in the muscle cell may osmotically draw water
into the cell and stimulate protein synthesis
-
Exogenous creatine may be converted back into amino acids and
serve as precursors for muscle protein synthesis
As described in subsequent sections, the mechanism of action
for creatine may actually be a combination of these proposed mechanisms.
|
