Metabolic Diet Creatine Advantage

While creatine monohydrate has been shown to enhance athletic performance, and to increase strength and muscle mass, these effects are enhanced in Creatine Advantage by stacking creatine with other ingredients. Our formula not only contains the highest quality, pure crystalline creatine monohydrate so that it mixes instantly and leave's no chalky taste, but we've also added a host of other natural ingredients that make our formula much more effective and versatile than any other creatine products on the market.

Creatine monohydrate is absorbed fairly well if just mixed with water. Using carbs increases insulin secretion and thus creatine utilization. However, basically taking in a few ounces or more of sugar to your creatine or even adding creatine to a protein shake will do just as much for creatine absorption and utilization as the creatine products that are out there now. However, with the right formulation you can accomplish a lot more.

To understand why you need a number of synergistic ingredients besides creatine to maximize the energy systems in the body it's important to know some basics on creatine metabolism. Creatine is used by the body to make phosphocreatine, and the phosphocreatine is a high energy source that functions to replenish ATP (the primary energy source in the body) when it's depleted.

The body needs about 2 grams of creatine a day to account for the amount of creatine that is metabolized to creatinine irreversibly. The creatinine is then excreted in the body. Part of this turnover can be replaced through exogenous sources of creatine in foods, especially meat and fish, and of course by supplementing with creatine monohydrate or creatine phosphate (the two most common forms available in supplements with the monohydrate being by far the most widely available). The remainder is derived via endogenous synthesis from the precursors arginine, glycine and methionine. Both the creatine and the creatine precursors (all three are in the glutamine peptides mix) are supplied in Creatine Advantage.

It's also important that you provide the body with the means, preferably by breaking down and oxidizing body fat, to increase energy levels so that phosphocreatine can be made from creatine plus phosphate. And it's important to simultaneously maximize the effects of insulin, GH, and IGF-I, which is difficult to do using carbs and sugars, not only to synergistically maximize the levels of these anabolic hormones, but also so that the creatine is most efficiently used.

Creatine Advantage doesn't overwhelm the body with creatine, since less than 3 grams per day is all that's needed to maximize creatine cellular levels - the usual doses of creatine used by athletes are mostly excreted¹ (as urinary creatine and a small amount of creatinine) and secondly the use of excessive amounts for long periods of time may be counter productive as far as potential adverse effects. However, at the same time Creatine Advantage maximizes phosphocreatine and ATP production (the TCA cycle intermediates and the AMP), and protein synthesis (the amino acid content and glutamine peptides).

Added amino acids and dipeptides and other essential boosters allow an increase in the absorption and utilization of creatine and increase the volumizing, anticatabolic and anabolic effect of the formula. The added energy ingredients and precursors make Creatine Advantage the ultimate creatine and energy mix, one that will maximize muscle mass and performance.

Increased Synthesis of PC and ATP

Creatine Advantage contains all the necessary products for the synthesis of both high energy phosphate compounds creatine phosphate and ATP, and for the efficient salvage of ATP after it's been metabolically degraded, including:

• Inorganic phosphorus and phosphates - also important for normalizing and regulating thyroid hormone.
• Creatine
• Inosine
• Ribose

• Biotin - a cofactor in many energy reactions involving glycogenolytic, glycolytic, TCA and anapleurotic enzymes.
• Magnesium - which has also been shown to increase energy systems, insulin sensitivity, protein synthesis and serum testosterone, GH and IGF-I levels.
• Calcium - which has been shown to facilitate muscle contraction and decreasing fatigue).
• Potassium, the transport of which is linked to aerobic glycolysis.

Creatine Advantage maximizes ATP production (as I mentioned above ATP is the main energy source in the body - the function of phosphocreatine is to replenish ATP, so it makes sense to increase ATP levels as well). It contains a proprietary blend of several ingredients that maximizes mitochondrial anapleurotic flux in the TCA cycle resulting in increased ATP production and increased energy availability for protein synthesis and other functions, including the formation of phosphocreatine. These ingredients, including several anapleurotic direct and indirect TCA cycle intermediates (such as aspartate, citrate, malate, fumarate, succinate, and the various anapleurotic and the various amino acids, including the branched chain amino acids, glutamate, glutamine, and other amino acids present in the glutamine peptides hydrolysate), impact on TCA flux and maximize mitochondrial metabolism, increase aerobic ATP production, and enhance insulin and growth hormone/IGFI secretion and formation.

The overall increase in anapleurotic flux produces an increase in aerobic energy production, insulin secretion, and protein synthesis, and results in an increased adaptive response, a surge in skeletal muscle cell growth, increased fat loss, and improved recovery.

Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), one of the ingredients in Creatine Advantage, activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), which in turn, among other effects such as increasing insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle,² decreases the concentration of malonyl-coA in peripheral tissues, (as does exercise BTW) and thus decreases triglyceride accumulation and increases fatty acid oxidation.³ The overall response to all of this is also an increase in energy output, which under conditions of energy deprivation, such as when you're trying to lose weight and/or body fat, increases fat oxidation further.

Insulin Boosting System

Creatine Advantage has a low carbohydrate based insulin boosting system (glutamine in the form of glutamine peptides - more stable in liquid form and more effective than free glutamine) and compounds to increase insulin sensitivity (chromium, histidine - which also provides intracellular buffering to stimulate anaerobic energy formation, taurine⁴ - which also has significant antioxidant and protective effects, stimulates growth hormone secretion and increases cell volume, and alpha lipoic acid - which is also an excellent antioxidant) and thus make the insulin more effective. All of these compounds increase the boosting effect that insulin has on intramuscular creatine phosphate levels. For example a recent study found that co-ingestion of alpha-lipoic acid with creatine can enhance muscle total creatine content as compared to the ingestion of creatine and sucrose or creatine alone.⁵

As well, there is a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and/or insulin secretion, when a protein hydrolysate, such as the glutamine peptides, is combined with creatine.⁶ Sodium is also important for increasing creatine uptake in muscle and some studies has been found to be important for creatine uptake into relatively insulin insensitive muscles such as the soleus.⁷

Creatine Advantage Also Contains:

1. Glutamine peptides, which have anabolic (increases protein synthesis and muscle mass) and anticatabolic (decrease muscle breakdown) effects, above those normally associated with glutamine, as the peptides themselves have some physiological effects. Also the peptide form is better absorbed than free glutamine that is not peptide bonded. As well, the glutamine in the glutamine peptides:

• Regulates protein synthesis
• Increases both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems
• Has beneficial effects on the immune system
• Increases insulin sensitivity when a protein hydrolysate is combined with creatine.⁸

• Glutamine
• Taurine
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Creatine itself which has significant volumizing effects.

Increased intracellular concentrations of branched chain amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleusine) stimulate formation of acetyl-coenzyme (CoA) and succinyl-CoA, thus increasing both glycolytic and anapleurotic flux and aerobic and anaerobic energy production. All three, but especially leucine, have a synergistic effect with creatine on increasing protein synthesis.

Almost as important as what's in Creatine Advantage, is what's not in it. For example, guanidinopropionic acid (GPA), an ingredient that is used in some creatine products, is not an ingredient as it seems that its use can decrease creatine levels in heart muscle cells and likely muscle cells.⁹ As well, in keeping with a lower carb approach, which besides decreasing fat oxidation also decreases GH and IGF-I levels, Creatine Advantage only contains 1.5 grams of carbs per 10 grams serving - just enough to maximize creatine uptake into muscle cells, but not enough to have counter productive effects.

Safety of Long-Term Creatine Intake

Studies have shown that the long term use of creatine does not have any significant side effects, such as an increase in muscle cramping or injuries, nor does it impact on the body's ability to manufacture creatine endogenously once the creatine is discontinued.^10,11 Muscle creatine levels usually return to normal within 4 weeks.¹²

References

1. Vandenberghe K, Goris M, Van Hecke P, Van Leemputte M, Vangerven L, Hespel P. Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J Appl Physiol. 1997 Dec;83(6):2055-63.
2. Ruderman NB, Cacicedo JM, Itani S, et al. Malonyl-CoA and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK): possible links between insulin resistance in muscle and early endothelial cell damage in... Biochem Soc Trans. 2003 Feb;31(Pt 1):202-6. Review.
3. Ruderman NB, Saha AK, Kraegen EW. Minireview: malonyl CoA, AMP-activated protein kinase, and adiposity. Endocrinology. 2003 Dec;144(12):5166-71. Review.
4. Nandhini ATA & Anuradha CV. Taurine modulates kallikrein activity and glucose metabolism in insulin resistant rats. Amino Acids 200; 222, 27-38.
5. Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Parise G, Tarnopolsky MA, Candow DG. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid combined with creatine monohydrate on human skeletal muscle creatine and phosphagen concentration. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003 Sep;13(3):294-302.
6. Derave W, Eijnde BO, Verbessem P, Ramaekers M, Van Leemputte M, Richter EA, Hespel P. Combined creatine and protein supplementation in conjunction with resistance training promotes muscle GLUT-4 content and glucose tolerance in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2003 May;94(5):1910-6. Epub 2003 Jan 10.
7. Willott CA, Young ME, Leighton B, Kemp GJ, Boehm EA, Radda GK, Clarke K. Creatine uptake in isolated soleus muscle: kinetics and dependence on sodium, but not on insulin. Acta Physiol Scand. 1999 Jun;166(2):99-104.
8. Derave W, Eijnde BO, Verbessem P, Ramaekers M, Van Leemputte M, Richter EA, Hespel P. Combined creatine and protein supplementation in conjunction with resistance training promotes muscle GLUT-4 content and glucose tolerance in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2003 May;94(5):1910-6. Epub 2003 Jan 10.
9. Boehm E, Chan S, Monfared M, Wallimann T, Clarke K, Neubauer S. Creatine transporter activity and content in the rat heart supplemented by and depleted of creatine. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Feb;284(2):E399-406.
10. Kreider RB.Species-specific responses to creatine supplementation. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2003; 285: R725-R726.
11. Greenwood M, Kreider RB, Melton C, Rasmussen C, Lancaster S, Cantler E, Milnor P, Almada A. Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. Mol Cell Biochem 2003; 244: 83-88.
12. Vandenberghe K, Goris M, Van Hecke P, Van Leemputte M, Vangerven L, Hespel P. Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J Appl Physiol. 1997 Dec;83(6):2055-63.