Myprotein Community & Forums - Creastorm® No 1 for Size, Strength & Speed!

The subject of hundreds of studies, Creatine Monohydrate has been proven to help improve power, strength and growth and even reduce recovery times between intense bouts of exercise. What is more, it’s religiously used by rugby internationals, premiership footballers, world champion power lifters, bodybuilders and Olympic athletes. But recent studies show when creatine is combined with other selected ingredients, it can produce even greater results. That is why Myprotein created Creastorm®, combining a number of synergistic ingredients to magnify the effects that creatine can have on the body. Here Myprotein.com examines the scientific evidence surrounding this bestselling supplement.

Firstly it’s important to understand how creatine actually helps you increase your strength, speed and power and it has a lot to do with the ‘energy cycle’ of your muscles. See the normal energy cycle of the muscle requires a substance called Adenosine Triphosphate (or ATP for short) to fuel it. The muscle usually has enough ATP to fuel a burst of work lasting about 6 seconds. Whereas supplementing you diet and training with creatine monohydrate ensures you have enough creatine to restore the ATP to a state where it can act as fuel for the muscle and continue the burst of activity for about another 6-12 seconds. So using a 100m sprint as an example, someone who supplements their diet with creatine should be able to maintain their maximum speed for 6-12 seconds, therefore running at a flat out sprint all the way to the line (outlasting other sprinters who fade at the 70m mark.)

Whilst this is all theory, it’s also been practically proven in numerous studies as well. As far back as 1998 at The University of Memphis, collegiate football players were supplemented with creatine to monitor its effect on performance and muscle mass. The study concluded ‘the addition of creatine promoted greater gains in fat/bone-free mass, isotonic lifting volume, and sprint performance during intense resistance/agility training…..it’s theorised this was due to the enhancement of ATP stores in the muscles.’ These findings are further supported by research published in the Journal of Science in Sports & Exercise which concluded ‘creatine supplementation lead to greater increases in muscular strength, upper arm muscle area, and fat-free mass than strength training alone by boosting ATP stores’ (Becque, M, Daniel et al 2000.)

Interestingly both studies mention ATP is such an important factor in fuelling strength and power and how creatine supplementation can positively affect it. This is why Myprotein have added D Ribose and Magnesium Citrate to Creastorm® since studies show these can further help boost ATP production, thus increasing your ability to work harder for longer.

Secondly research shows that creatine storage can be improved by taking creatine together with simple carbohydrates, such as dextrose, instead of just taking it in its pure form. AlzChem, a world leader in creatine manufacturing, state ‘Ingesting carbohydrates raises blood sugar levels and therefore the secretion of insulin, an endogenous hormone. The improved uptake of creatine into the muscles is attributed to stimulation of creatine transporters mediated by insulin.’ They add ‘taking 4 x 5 g creatine for 6 days resulted in an increase of the total creatine of 17%. In contrast, it has been shown that total creatine can be increased 27% by taking 4 x 5 g creatine plus 90 g glucose for 6 days.’ (see diagram) Plus to further aid the absorption of the creatine, Creastorm® contains L Glycine, Taurine and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Considered to be ‘uptake’ agents that boost absorption rates, these when consumed in conjunction with a high GI carbohydrate ensure the creatine monohydrate is effectively shuttled to the muscles to be efficiently used.