In addition to benefits already mentioned, there is starting to be more and more conversation about benefits of creatine for endurance athletes.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10132248/
Here is the Ai summarized version of the article:
Here's a clear, concise summary of the narrative review on **creatine supplementation and endurance performance**:
### Overall Takeaway
Creatine is a well-established ergogenic aid for strength, power, and short high-intensity efforts, but its effects on endurance exercise (activities >~3 minutes involving large muscle groups in a cyclical manner) are more nuanced. While it can increase body mass (potentially detrimental in weight-bearing sports like running), it offers several mechanisms that may improve performance—especially in races with repeated high-intensity surges, breakaways, or strong finishing sprints. Benefits are more consistent in non-weight-bearing or mixed-intensity endurance sports (e.g., cycling, rowing, kayaking, mountain biking, triathlon, cross-country skiing) than in steady-state efforts.
### Key Potential Mechanisms
- **Elevated muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) and total creatine**: Allows faster ATP resynthesis, greater anaerobic capacity, and better hydrogen ion buffering during intense efforts.
- **Enhanced glycogen storage**: When taken with carbohydrates, creatine increases muscle glycogen content and resynthesis, providing more fuel for high-intensity aerobic work.
- **Improved buffering and reduced reliance on glycolysis**: Lowers lactate accumulation and supports repeated high-intensity bouts.
- **Better neuromuscular efficiency**: May reduce motor unit recruitment for a given intensity, delay neuromuscular fatigue, and improve calcium handling for better force production.
- **Mitochondrial and recovery benefits**: Potential to support mitochondrial function/biogenesis, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation (e.g., lower TNF-alpha, PGE2, creatine kinase), and aid post-exercise recovery.
- **Drawback**: Short-term loading increases body water and body mass (~0.9–2 kg), which may impair weight-bearing endurance performance.
### Effects on Endurance Performance
- **Time to Exhaustion (TTE) and high-intensity work**: Mostly positive. Creatine consistently improves TTE or total work in short-to-moderate high-intensity efforts (~3–6+ min) and protocols with repeated surges or intervals. Benefits are linked to increased anaerobic work capacity (W') and power output during intense bursts.
- **Time Trial (TT) Performance**: Mixed results. No consistent improvement in steady-state or long continuous TTs (e.g., 6-km run or 20–120 km cycling). However, creatine often enhances **end spurts** and **final sprints** (e.g., last 50 m in swimming, closing sprints in cycling, final splits in rowing), which are frequently race-defining.
- **Intermittent/Surge-Based Endurance**: Promising for sports involving frequent intensity changes (e.g., mountain biking, road cycling pack racing, triathlon). Creatine improves repeated high-intensity efforts without impairing aerobic work.
- **Specific Examples from Studies**:
- Improved final sprint in 400-m swim and 1000-m rowing.
- Better power in closing sprints during 120-km cycling TT (with carbs).
- Enhanced interval work and TTE in triathletes.
- Increased work capacity above critical power in some studies.
Body mass gain appears more problematic in running than in cycling or rowing.
### Practical Recommendations from the Review
- **Dosing**:
- Standard loading: 20 g/day (or 0.3 g/kg/day) split into 4 doses for 5–7 days → maintenance 3–5 g/day.
- For weight-bearing athletes (to minimize water retention): Skip loading and use 3–5 g/day for ~4 weeks.
- Best results when co-ingested with carbohydrates (enhances creatine and glycogen uptake).
- Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and effective form.
- Useful during high-intensity interval training blocks.
- Individual response varies (based on baseline creatine levels, muscle fiber type, genetics, diet). “Non-responders” exist, especially in those with high baseline stores (e.g., some females).
- Practice with it in training/off-season before competition.
- Beneficial for both recreational and elite athletes in surge-heavy or sprint-finish sports.
### Limitations & Future Directions
- Limited studies on real competitive endurance events.
- Mixed results partly due to differences in exercise modality, intensity, and protocols.
- Need more research on sex differences, menstrual cycle effects, long-term use during high-volume training, periodized strategies, effects on fast-twitch fiber preservation, and bone health/injury risk in endurance athletes.
- Most data come from short loading protocols; chronic low-dose effects need clarification.
### Conclusion of the Review
Creatine supplementation has plausible mechanisms to support endurance performance, particularly by boosting anaerobic work capacity, repeated high-intensity efforts, and finishing kicks. It is **not** a general endurance booster for steady-state efforts and may even hinder weight-bearing activities due to body mass gain. However, it shows strong potential as a targeted aid for endurance sports involving surges, breakaways, or decisive end-spurts (e.g., cycling, mountain biking, rowing, kayaking, triathlon, cross-country skiing).
The review emphasizes that creatine is safe and can be a useful addition to an endurance athlete’s toolkit when used strategically.
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