When to take creatine to improve performance

What creatine is, what it is used for and why it is useful for cyclists

When talking about supplementation for cyclists, we often hear about creatine, but what is it and, more importantly, how can its intake improve sports performance? In this article we’ll talk about this valuable amino acid already present in our bodies and the importance of proper supplementation, and we’ll find out when to take creatine and in what doses.

Cycling, as we know, is an endurance sport, exhausting and exciting. Whether you practise it at a competitive or amateur level, a true cyclist always tries to push his or her limits. testing his muscles time after time. When you go out in a group, then, sprinting and being able to break away from your teammates is really exciting. In order to maintain high performance at all times and promote rapid muscle recovery the supplementation is very important.

What is creatine and when to take it

Synthesised by the liver, pancreas and kidneys, creatine is an amino acid essential for muscles to produce ATP which is naturally present in the body. The amount of body creatine in a male subject of about 70kg is 120g (concentration increasing as muscle mass increases) and the daily requirement is 2g, half of which is obtained through endogenous synthesis and half through diet (meat and fish) and supplementation.

By binding with a phosphate group, it is converted into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and acts to meet the energy demands of the alactacidic anaerobic mechanism. Its main function is to provide immediate energy for very short but very high intensity efforts, such as sprints and sprinting. Phosphocreatine reserves, however, are depleted in 4-5 seconds, so in order to maintain sports performance at a high level, it is essential to replenish them in order to maximise the amount stored by 20-40%.

In order to decide when to take creatine, it is necessary to assess the goals you have set yourself, the route you are taking and the intensity of your effort. Our advice is to take it when the body needs energy the most, for example, when you want to attempt two close sprints in a race to break away from your opponents, in this case the right creatine supplementation really is a valuable ally by increasing your power capacity in each sprint and speeding up recovery.

What is it used for

As we said, the fundamental role of creatine is ergogenic, specifically in short duration and high intensity efforts. The benefits of creatine supplementation for athletes include:

• the anabolic function of muscle cells and consequently an increase in muscle strenght
• an improvement in contractile capacity and neuromuscular function
• an improvement in the body’s hydration and thermoregulatory response due to creatine’s osmotic properties
• an improvemente of critical power
• increased glycogen storage capacity in the muscles
• the elimination of the feeling of fatigue

In addition, creatine also has antioxidant, neuroprotective and cardioprotective properties.

Sprintade® alongside athletes

All the Sprintade® products line is designed to provide all the energy athletes need, ensuring maximum speed of nutrient assimilation thanks to highly concentrated formulations and more convenient and easily transportable formats such as gels, ampoules and chewable gums. Sprintade® supplements allow you to deliver specific nutrients at the exact time you need them – before a ride to saturate your reserves, or in the brief interludes of a race or training session for an extra sprint.
CREAFos by Sprintade® is the new powder supplement perfect for those seeking energy support and performance enhancement, especially muscle strength. It can be used to prepare training flasks, and is rich in creatine, fructose 1,6 diphosphate, magnesium, potassium, selenium and B vitamins.