Key points

• Creatine monohydrate is the most widely used form of creatine supplement
• Creatine is made up of three amino acids and is stored as phosphocreatine in muscles
• Creatine delays muscle fatigue by "buffering" the build up of lactic acid in the muscles
• It speeds up recovery between bouts of high-intensity physical activity
• It extends maximal muscle power output
• It increases total body mass - particularly lean muscle tissue
• May be especially beneficial to athletes involved in high-intensity activities particularly where interval training and strength training are involved i.e. anaerobic activities
• There is a small amount of evidence that it may also help athletes involved in mainly aerobic activities - for example endurance running and cycling - although the evidence is not strong
• Dosage - there are a variety of recommendations, however the most widely used is a loading dose of 20g per day for five days, followed by a maintenance dose of 2g per day. Doses in excess of this are of no benefit as muscle can only store a certain amount and any excess is removed from the body
• Side-effects - there appear to be no proven side-effects
• Creatine supplementation is allowed in sport by the International Olympic Committee (2002)