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Truly Huge Fitness Tips
Presented by TrulyHuge.com
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FITNESS TIPS FOR 9/17/2003
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Muscle Building With Creatine
Can Creatine Protect Against Muscle Damage?
by Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón
Muscle damage is a natural consequence of exercise. A small amount
of muscle damage is not a terrible thing and, in fact, is necessary
to stimulate new muscle growth. On the other hand, if the extent of
muscle damage exceeds our body's capacity to repair and rebuild, then
we're in big trouble. We then have a scenario of net muscle
breakdown, otherwise known as catabolism, which defeats the entire
point of working out and is a huge waste of time, money and effort.
Two principal forms of muscle damage arise from physical exertion.
The first is mechanical and occurs immediately. In response to the
physical stress of exercise our muscles and capillary beds damage
slightly. Conditions permitting, these microscopic foci of damage
then prime a robust phase of increased micro-vascularization and new
muscle growth. The end result is increased blood flow to larger,
more efficiently, working muscles. The second form of muscle damage
is a downstream consequence of the first and is, in actuality, the
initiation of the rebuilding process. The second form of muscle
damage results from reactive molecular species produced in response
to strenuous exercise, but that exert their degenerative effects a
few days later.
Rising from the ashes
Damaged muscle tissue must first be cleared away before rebuilding
can commence. This process begins with the release of chemical
agents that attract specialized cells (neutrophils and macrophages)
to sites of damage. Here, these cells accumulate, greatly
proliferate and build an appetite. Next commences a voracious phase
of cell eating, otherwise known as phagocytosis, whereby these cells
literally eat away the damaged muscle tissue. Phagocytosis is
initiated with the release of agents that breakdown, or digest,
damaged cells in preparation for absorption. Following the removal
of all dead tissue the stage is then set for new muscle growth. New
muscle is formed from the fusion of hundreds of progenitor cells that
were previously dormant awaiting a signal to act. From start to
finish this entire process takes about 3-4 days.
Free Radicals
To assist in their removal of dead tissue neutrophils and macrophages
release digestive enzymes, toxins and Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS
for short. One of the most powerful of ROS is the Superoxide
Radical. Superoxide greatly weakens the integrity of the muscle
membrane causing leaks that allow calcium ions to leak in. It is a
rise in intramuscular calcium that activates proteases causing the
muscle cell to disintegrate. Obviously, a small amount of Superoxide
plays an essential role in the absorption of damaged cells. On the
other hand, an over production of Superoxide surpasses its usefulness
and can actually be counterproductive as its destructive capacity
becomes unleashed without warrant.
Oxidative stress
Superoxide is derived from oxygen during metabolism. There is also
some indication that intense exercise, by greatly increasing our
utilization of oxygen, increases the rate at which Superoxide is
produced. In the extreme case Superoxide production may surpass the
body's capacity to neutralize it. This gives rise to a situation
known as oxidative stress.
Antioxidants
Our bodies contain a line of defense against oxidative stress;
special molecules known as antioxidants that neutralize ROS.
Vitamins A, C and E are examples of vitamins that can act as
antioxidants. Vitamin E is a particularly potent antioxidant that
protects our cellular membranes from degradation following oxidative
stress. Our bodies also come equipped with their own antioxidant
protectors. Some of the most important enzymatic antioxidants are
Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Catalase.
Glutathione is one of our principle non-enzymatic antioxidants.
Athletes are now paying closer attention to their antioxidant status
in an attempt to assist muscle recovery. Proactive measures one can
take to enhance the body's capacity to cope with oxidative stress
include eating foods rich in antioxidants, supplementing with
antioxidant vitamins, limiting alcohol intake, especially following
exercise and getting plenty of rest. It now turn's out that some
athletes were getting antioxidants in ways they hadn't previously
imagined...
Is creatine an antioxidant?
Just last year a study was released suggesting that creatine might
act as a Superoxide scavenger in its own right. This is an
additional benefit independent from creatine's better-understood
capacity to increase ATP availability during exercise. It is thus
possible that part of the benefit we obtain from creatine derives
from its capacity to act as an antioxidant.
The salient points of the study were as follows:
1. The creatine levels used in this study were within physiological
limits. In other words, the concentrations of creatine found by this
study to be effective at scavenging free radicals were comparable to
those found within muscle (20-60 mM, for those interested). This
gave relevancy to the study.
2. Creatine acted as a mild antioxidant. Although not as effective
as Glutathione at neutralizing Superoxide, its antioxidant effect was
nonetheless significant.
3. Creatine's ability to neutralize Superoxide was measured in a test
tube, not in an exercising person. While it's reasonable to assume
that creatine would behave similarly within athletes, subtle
differences in effectiveness may exist. For all we know creatine may
be even more efficacious as an antioxidant inside the body! Only
further experimentation will tell.
Take Home
This report indicates that creatine possess' antioxidant properties
and is able to effectively neutralize Superoxide, one of the more
insidious free radicals produced by exercise. Since these findings
where obtained in a test tube, however, it remains to be shown if
creatine has the same antioxidant properties in an exercising person.
Although preliminary, this result is surely worth pursuing and has
important practical implications for muscle recovery.
Scientific Reference
Lawler JM, Barnes WS, Wu G, Song W, Demaree S. (January 2002) Direct
antioxidant properties of creatine. Biochemical and Biophysical
Research Communications. 290: 1: pages 47-52.
About the author:
Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón has had over 20 years of in depth research
experience in major laboratories world-wide. His major scientific
interest is the understanding of the cellular mechanisms that lead to
muscle cell death.
Dr. Franco-Obregón is also the author of Creatine: A practical guide.
More information about the guide can be found here:
Muscle Growth and Creatine
