Creatine and age. From what age can it be used?

Creatine is by far the most popular supplement for physical performance. Since we often start our adventure with sport at a very young age, the question often arises: from what age can creatine be used? However, in order to answer this question accurately, we must first take a closer look at creatine itself...

young footballer

  1. What is creatine and how does it work?
  2. Where does creatine come from?
  3. Where is creatine most needed?
  4. The creatine problem
  5. What about children and adolescents...?
  6. Should we be afraid of supplements?

What is creatine and how does it work?

Biological energy distributor

Creatine can be described as a cellular distributor of biological energy. It is widely known that all processes, including life processes, are driven by energy. Biological energy is produced in the mitochondria, but it drives life processes that take place in distant cell compartments. Creatine is responsible for its distribution in cells.

Mechanism of action

Mitochondria can be compared to a power plant, and creatine to a transmission cable. If we use a cable with too small a cross-section, the current reaching the socket will be low, and then, for example, a hairdryer will barely blow instead of lifting your hairstyle. Such a cable with a small cross-section is a low cellular concentration of creatine. If we allow a creatine deficiency, instead of running, we will barely be able to drag our feet. Conversely, with an optimal concentration of muscle creatine, an average runner can perform at a championship level.

Where does creatine come from?

meat - creatine

An essential nutrient

Creatine is produced in the body from three amino acids derived from the proteins we consume – arginine, glycine and methionine. However, because the production of creatine is complex and time-consuming, the body is rather reluctant to do so and prefers to obtain ready-made creatine from food. Scientists have estimated that at least half of the creatine necessary for life comes from food sources. Therefore, they have recognised creatine as an essential nutrient, or in a sense, a type of vitamin.

Creatine requirements

The average human body needs 2 g of creatine per day, at least half of which, i.e. approx. 1 g, should be obtained from food. The main dietary source of creatine is meat products, unless, of course, creatine supplements are used.

Where is creatine most needed?

As the main cellular distributor of biological energy, creatine is particularly important for muscles (including the heart muscle), i.e. the tissue with the highest energy demand. Therefore, our muscle tissue accumulates and consumes the most creatine. That is why optimal creatine intake in relation to demand has a positive effect on muscle strength, mass and functionality, as well as the overall exercise capacity of the body.

What are the consequences of creatine deficiency?

On the other hand, creatine deficiency results in reduced muscle tone, impaired coordination and motor skills, and rapid muscle fatigue.

creatine - brain

Creatine and the brain

Not only muscles, but also the brain is a very metabolically active tissue. The brain can use up to 20% of the biological energy produced by the body, even though it accounts for only about 2% of its mass. Creatine is therefore a molecule of key importance for the energy metabolism of our brain.

Therefore, creatine deficiencies not only have a negative impact on muscles and exercise capacity, but also result in serious mental and developmental disorders, such as mental retardation, autism, epileptic seizures, low mood, anxiety and depression disorders, and learning difficulties, which can be reversed by consuming higher daily doses of creatine.

The creatine problem

As we already know, the average person should consume approximately 1 g of creatine per day with food. We also know that creatine accumulates mainly in muscle tissue, as well as in the muscles of animals whose meat is part of our diet. The average person therefore has no problem replenishing creatine on a daily basis, as the necessary amounts are found in meat dishes (unless they are vegan, but that's another story).

Different types of meat and fish contain on average between half a gram and one gram of creatine per 100 g, so in fact, one decent cutlet a day is enough to cover the daily requirement for this essential nutrient.

Creatine in meat and fish

Species Creatine (g/kg)
Red meat 6-9
Beef 8-10
Pork  7-9
Poultry 6-8
Herring 6-9
Sea fish 2-5

As you can see, red meat is the richest source of creatine, while sea fish contains the least. However, it should be remembered that the amount of creatine may vary depending on how the product is prepared and consumed. For example, cooking or frying meat can reduce its creatine content.

What if you exercise?

Problems with creatine begin when we increase our physical activity, for example, by taking up a sport. Then, working muscles consume more creatine, which increases our body's demand for this essential nutrient. What's more, increased physical activity usually leads to muscle growth, and since muscles consume the most creatine, the larger the muscles, the higher the demand for creatine.

Special requirements

According to experts, physically active people need to consume 2-3 g of creatine daily, depending on their muscle mass. However, even these amounts may be insufficient, as scientific observations show that they are not able to maintain optimal creatine concentration in the muscle tissue of people who engage in strenuous physical activity. Therefore, in this case, the most common recommendation is a creatine requirement of at least 5 g per day.

And now we have a serious problem... Such a requirement can be met by, for example, half a kilogram of beef, but you would have to eat over a kilogram of chicken breast. That is why the simplest solution here is creatine supplements, where you just count out the appropriate number of capsules or tablets or measure out the appropriate amount of powder with a measuring spoon.

What about children and adolescents...?

The capabilities of young organisms

The concentration of creatine in children's muscles is only slightly lower (approx. 10%) than in adult muscles. However, children have a lower requirement for dietary creatine in relation to their body weight, due to the fact that the creatine synthesis process in their bodies is much more efficient than in adults and can cover up to 90% of the body's creatine requirements.

In addition, a child's body produces more creatine transporter, allowing it to utilise creatine from food more efficiently than an adult. Theoretically, therefore, a child aged 7-10, who usually weighs half as much as the average adult, needs about 1 g of creatine per day, of which only 100 mg comes from food.

This requirement can be met by 2-3 (depending on size) chicken nuggets, which children usually love. In practice, however, the matter is more complicated, as the body's ability to synthesise creatine, which is highest in infancy, decreases with age, so we can never be sure whether a child's dietary creatine requirement is proportionally as high as that of an adult. It is therefore possible that our child needs to consume not 100 but 500 mg of creatine per day.

Growing demand in sport

Consuming 500 mg will not be a big problem either, as it can be solved with a single chicken breast cutlet. However, a problem may arise when our child starts practising a sport; just like in an active adult, their body's daily requirement for dietary creatine will increase up to five times, reaching a value of over 2 grams.

Effects in sport and learning

And since we know that our child cannot cope with five chicken cutlets, after consulting a sports doctor, we can consider adding a creatine supplement in a similar situation. In any case, we cannot allow a creatine deficiency, because then not only will the child's performance in the gym be poor, but also at school. This mainly applies to parents who wrongly encourage their children to follow vegan diets.

Should we be afraid of supplements?

a teenager's conversation with a psychologist

Some studies suggest that creatine may have beneficial effects on brain development and memory in children, but there is no clear evidence that it is safe and effective in feeding young children.

Creatine supplements are also used in paediatrics, in many cases of rare hereditary diseases. A recently published scientific analysis shows that, despite strong evidence confirming the efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in adult populations, it is less well known whether similar physiological benefits apply to children and adolescents, particularly those who regularly participate in high-intensity physical training.

Studies on creatine supplementation and exercise effects in adolescent athletes generally show improved exercise performance, with consistent reports indicating no adverse effects associated with supplementation. However, in the case of underage athletes, the decision to include or exclude creatine supplements in a child's diet is still up to the parents, after consulting a doctor who knows the child.

Sources:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/creatine-and-guanidinoacetate-content-of-human-milk-and-infant-formulas-implications-for-creatine-deficiency-syndromes-and-amino-acid-metabolism/9DC5C7F65A4BDCCBEDBCF74169A1F259.

https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/15218

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7922146/

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