Abstract des Autors

Main functions of creatine in the muscle are related to muscle cell energetics and protein metabolism. An average daily requirement for creatine, covered by diet and/or endogenous synthesis, is about 2 g. Dietary creatine supplementation, as a method for increasing the work capacity, has recently come into focus. The most popular schedule of dietary creatine supplementation consists of administering 5 g of creatine monohydrate 4-6 times daily for 5-6 days. This has been shown to increase both total creatine and phosphocreatine content in the skeletal muscle of most untrained subjects and to enhance their performance and resistance to fatigue in a high-intensity, intermittent exercise. The stimulating effect of creatine is believed to be due to an accelerated phosphocreatine resynthesis in the muscle during recovery periods between the exercise bouts. Current experimental data do not provide convincing proof on a positive effect of creatine ingestion on the performance in a continuous, short, intense or a prolonged exercise and information on its effects on sports performance is scarce. No side effects of a short-term creatine feeding are known but increases in body mass have been reported. An increased level of plasma urea has been reported in creatine-treated rats. Verf.-Referat