Why creatine supplementation is important for vegetarians

							 Why creatine supplementation is
   important for vegetarians
• Creatine is an amino acid involved in
  cellular energy regulation
• Dietary source of creatine is red meat
• Vegetarian diet leads to lower levels of
  creatine
• Reduced levels of creatine linked to
  reduced mental and physical performance
Creatine As A Ready Source of
   High Energy Phosphate

         O2


              (cellular fuel)




                        (cellular reserve)
     Evidence for Importance of
     Creatine in Mental Function
• Genetic mutations in either creatine enzymes
  or creatine transporter are associated with
  mental retardation

• Creatine supplementation has shown
  improvements in neurological diseases such
  as Parkinson’s Disease

• Increased mental performance in vegetarians
  following creatine supplementation
  In Depth Look at the Science
Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation
 improves mental performance: a double-
 blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study

Caroline Rae, Alison L. Digney, Sally R. McEwan,
 and Timothy C. Bates; University of Sidney

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B,
  volume 270, page 2147-2150, 2003
             Study Design
• 45 vegan or vegetarian subjects (12 M/33 F)
• Double-blind study (neither subjects nor
  evaluators know which treatment given)
• Two treatment groups: (1) CRT (5 gms/d for
  6 wks) (2) Placebo (maltodextrose) (5 gms/d
  for 6 wks)
• Cross-over design (each subject received
  both CRT and Placebo) with 6 wk washout
  in between treatments
     Study Design continued
• Cognitive tests:
  Raven’s Advanced Progressive
  Matrices (RAPM)-



 Weshler Auditory Backward Digit Span
 (BDS)-
            Study Results
• Red blood cell creatine content increased
  during creatine supplementation

• Creatine supplementation significantly
  increased performance on intelligence
  tests compared to placebo group
• RAPM scores higher
  in creatine
  supplemented group;
  9.7 placebo vs. 13.7
  in creatine group
• BDS score higher in
  creatine group; score
  of 7 placebo vs. 8.5 in
  creatine group


Rae et al., Royal Society London B, 2003
                   Creatine Sources
                                        Distribution Phase
                                                      Skeletal muscle



                             CREATINE                  Heart
        Absorption Phase

                                                       Brain

(dietary source)      (liver source)

      Creatine Absorption and Distribution Phases
      Requires the Transport of Creatine by Specific
      Proteins in the Cellular Membranes of the Tissue
         Advantages of CEE
• Improved solubility means less GI distress

• Improved permeability means more
  creatine delivered to the tissues and less
  dose required

• Rapid absorption and distribution means
  no loading phase; immediate results
              Bottom Line?


5-20 grams (2-4 scoops)   0.4-.8 gram (1-2 capsules)
 Creatine Monohydrate        Creatine Ethyl Ester




           Improved Physical Performance
            Improved Mental Performance
     Ours                              Others
• Produced in accordance    • Contain additives such as
  with Good Manufacturing     dextrose
  Practices (GMP), the
  same used in making
  pharmaceutical agents     • Are not guaranteed to be
                              free of animal derived
                              material
• Uses no animal derived
  material in the
  manufacturing or          • Are not guaranteed to be
  formulation                 prepared using GMP

• Is >95% creatine ethyl    • Many do not even contain
  ester, no additives, no     creatine ethyl ester
  fillers