What does creatinine contain? What foods contain creatine? Creatine and other sports supplements
Creatine is an organic compound that is directly involved in energy metabolism in muscle and nerve cells. Its existence in our body was discovered 160 years ago. Creatine is synthesized in the kidneys, liver and pancreas, then delivered to the muscles through the blood. But the muscles store it and use it as a source of energy. We need creatine during any physical activity, movement, and in general, existence.
Creatine is also called our body's energy store, or muscle fuel. It increases endurance and promotes greater performance. The more it is produced by our body, the more energy it releases. Why creatine is needed is best known to athletes. After all, it is for them that muscles play a particularly important role.
We get most of our creatine from food. And the more we get, the more energy our body will release. But, as nature intended, the approximate amount of creatine that is synthesized in the human body is 2 grams per day.
This is enough for normal life, but not enough to accomplish great feats. That is why creatine is used in the form of dietary supplements by people involved in sports, mainly in bodybuilding.
This is due to another function of creatine - it retains water and increases the volume of muscle cells. Due to this, the muscles look more attractive and respond better to training. Therefore, athletes use creatine to gain muscle mass. Another effect of creatine on our body is due to inhibition of the secretion of lactic acid. But it is precisely this that causes a burning sensation in the muscles when we do exercises for a long time or out of habit. Accordingly, creatine helps you recover faster after training and start exercising again.
Creatine is also considered a weight loss aid. This has been proven by research by American scientists. By increasing the effectiveness of training with the help of creatine, fat cells are burned faster and weight loss occurs.
Where is creatine found?
As already mentioned, we get creatine through food. But not with just anyone. There are foods that contain higher levels of creatine. This is important to know not only for athletes, but also for people leading an active lifestyle. We have determined what creatine is needed for. And it’s not just athletes who need it. Now a little about where it is kept. After all, to increase energy, it is better to use natural sources of creatine.
The largest amount of creatine is contained in products of animal origin: fish, meat, dairy products. For example, to get 2 grams of creatine, you need to eat half a kilo of beef, or 400 grams of pork, or 600 grams of cod, or 200 grams of herring at once. Of course, with a combination of products, creatine is absorbed better. But now it becomes clear why men who are actively involved in the gym lean so heavily on meat. But to replenish your creatine supply during vigorous workouts, you just need to overeat. Therefore, creatine is most often used as a supplement in its pure form. For those who do not want to build muscle, this form of taking creatine is of no use.
Of course, many of us lead a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, the body does not require a large amount of energy and, accordingly, there is no such need for creatine. After all, the effect of creatine occurs in conjunction with physical activity.
Although many people associate creatine with the male half, its consumption is also not meaningless for women. Scientific research showed that the effect of creatine on the body of men is somewhat more noticeable than its effect on the female body. 
This is due. But we already know that creatine helps maintain muscle tone and also, during weight loss, preserves muscle mass fine. And this is important. After all, when we lose weight, not only fat tissue suffers, but also muscle tissue.
But when using creatine to shape your figure, it is worth remembering that even for athletes with active physical activity, there is an excess. And doctors recommend supplying your body with additional creatine only in case of active physical training.
Creatine is a nutrient essential for proper energy metabolism and muscle growth. It is actively used by athletes to improve their results, as it increases muscle mass and helps in recovery. This substance is often used in the form of dietary supplements, but our regular food also often contains creatine. Which products contain the largest amount of it?
Creatine: what foods contain it?
Creatine is most often used in sports that involve short periods of time, but intense loads, after which you need to quickly recover: gymnastics, running, rugby. It should be noted that creatine is also actively used in the treatment of muscle atrophy. Which ones are in the greatest quantity?
- A fairly large amount of the substance is found in meat, namely pork and beef. A kilogram of pork contains 5 g of creatine.
- Fish is also rich in creatine, especially herring, salmon, tuna and cod. So, 1 kg of tuna contains about 4 g of creatine.
- If we talk about what other foods contain creatine, we should mention vegetables and fruits, although the amount of this substance in them is very small.
- Creatine is also found in dairy products.
Having found out in what food and in what quantity creatine is present, it is easy to notice that in order to increase the consumption of the substance it is necessary to eat a large amount of meat and fish, and this can also cause a deterioration in the functioning of the stomach. Therefore, it is much more effective for athletes to use safe nutritional supplements with creatine, which, by the way, are not considered doping.
Effect of creatine
Creatine is used for more than just athletic performance, so knowing which foods contain this nutrient may be useful for more than just track and field athletes and gymnasts. Consuming creatine can have a positive effect on human health in various diseases.
- Creatine reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which has a beneficial effect on heart function.
- The use of the substance helps in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammation.
- Creatine helps with various muscle disorders.
- In chronic heart failure, a certain amount of creatine increases the ability to exercise.
Knowing which foods contain creatine can be helpful for those who are looking after their health, who are actively involved in sports, or who are trying to increase their muscle mass.
The scientific research of a scientist from France named Chevreul was crowned with success. This happened in 1832. He was able to isolate a chemical compound called creatine from skeletal muscle. The roots of this name go back to the ancient Greek word for meat, which makes sense. So, it has been proven that creatine is present inside the human body. How did it end up there, and what was it needed for? And is it possible to detect creatine in food so that it can be replenished if necessary? This became the subject of further research, which lasted for a century and a half. One of the latest discoveries was made in 1973 by professor-cardiologist from Russia E.I. Chazov: creatine regulates the strength of heart contractions.
Briefly about the supplement
Creatine is a nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid. It turned out that it is produced by the human body and other vertebrates.
Synthesis occurs from amino acids in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. Studies have shown that the body produces up to 2 grams of this substance per day.
The body has the ability to accumulate creatine, and then uses it during energy exchange in nerve and muscle tissues. In other words, without this organic acid our muscles are not capable of movement. Its lack weakens a person. Although it has energy reserves, they are in a “frozen” state and cannot reach the points of use.
It is assumed that with the help of creatine, protein synthesis and cell hyperhydration occur in the body, so muscles grow, acquire beautiful relief, endurance and strength. Another effect is to neutralize lactic acid - the cause of muscle fatigue. The effect of strengthening bone tissue, joints and tendons has been noted, with a beneficial effect on the nervous and circulatory systems.
As you can see, the importance of this acid for metabolic processes is great. Therefore, the question arises: how to replenish its reserves in order to improve the health and quality of our lives? You can get additional amounts from food.
The table below shows the creatine content of different foods:
| Food (1 kg) | Creatine content (g) |
|---|---|
| Herring | 6,5-10 |
| Pork | 5 |
| Salmon | 4,5 |
| beef | 4,5 |
| Tuna | 4 |
| Cod | 3 |
| Milk | 0,1 |
| Cranberry | 0,02 |
Which of these foods contains the most creatine is clearly illustrated by the numbers. In the first positions is fish, then red animal meat. The last place is occupied by dairy products and berries. You should know that heat treatment of food that contains carboxylic acid reduces its amount.
Products containing such organic acid, valuable for humans, can only provide household motor needs, but athletes and bodybuilders require more. From what sources you can get more creatine is a topic for another story.
You can buy creatine on the American website, where there are always promotions, and using our link you are guaranteed to receive an additional 5% discount. It also works. Therefore, if you have already decided which creatine is best for you, then it can be found on.
It is a nitrogen amine, the content of which in the daily diet is approximately 1 gram. Foods such as meat and fish are rich in creatine. In addition, this substance is produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas by breaking down and methionine.
Below we present you a table showing foods rich in creatine.
| Food product (1 kg) | Creatine content (g) |
|---|---|
| Herring | 10 |
| Pork | 5 |
| Salmon | 4,5 |
| Beef | 4,5 |
| Tuna | 4 |
| Cod | 3 |
| Milk | 0,1 |
| Cranberry | 0,02 |
Looking at this table, we can conclude that to obtain sufficient quantity To get creatine from food, you need to eat a fairly large amount of food. In addition, due to the heat treatment of these products, the creatine content in them also decreases.
Now you can conclude for yourself that in order to get enough creatine from food, you need to consume a very large amount of food. In addition, we must take into account that when food is cooked, a significant part of creatine will be destroyed.
It is clear that the sedentary lifestyle of people for centuries has adapted the body to creatine deficiency. That is why, during the period when the athlete is just beginning to attend gym, physical exercise seem serious, and the recovery process takes a long time. But over time, when the training experience becomes solid, and creatine is supplied additionally in the form of supplements, there will be problems with load and recovery. Despite the fact that the human body is accustomed to a chronic lack of creatine, taking large doses of it does not lead to metabolic disorders, but puts the body into an early functioning mode, returning it to more favorable conditions.
Very often you can hear speeches that instead of sports nutrition you can simply increase your food intake. However, this is a misconception. An attempt to increase the consumption of staple foods will lead to the development of obesity and overload of the organs and systems responsible for the breakdown and absorption of other food components. For example, excessive consumption of meat will not only not bring any results, but will also be harmful to health, since the body is simply not able to safely process such an amount of meat.
Creatine– a nutrient necessary for proper energy metabolism and muscle growth. It is actively used by athletes to improve their results, as it increases muscle mass and helps in recovery.
Daily requirement for creatine approximately 1 gram. Foods such as meat and fish are rich in creatine. In addition, creatine is produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas by breaking down glycine and methionine.
What foods contain creatine?
Foods rich in creatine are products of animal origin. Here is a list of products containing creatine (the amount of creatine in food products per 1 kilogram).
1 . Fish
Most creatine is found in fish: herring about 6.5-10 grams of creatine, per salmon and salmon 4.5 grams, in tuna 4 grams, in cod 3 grams, in flounder 2 grams.
2 . Meat
In second place in terms of creatine content is meat: pork- 5 grams, beef- 4.5 grams.
3. Fruits and vegetables
Creatine can also be found in small amounts in fruits And vegetables, but the amount there is very small. For example, cranberries contain about 0.02 grams of creatine.
Having found out what foods contain creatine, it is easy to notice that to increase the consumption of the substance you need to eat a large amount of meat and fish, and this can cause weight gain and deterioration of the stomach. Therefore, it is much more effective for athletes to use safe nutritional supplements with creatine, which are not considered doping.
