Dear Readers,
A version of this question appeared in my inbox a few days ago. I felt it important enough to merit its own post in this blog. Today, I’ll post the original question and in a few days I’ll upload my answer.
Sincerely,
Alfredo Franco-Obregón
Nutritional Supplements Newsletters Publishing
http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net
http://www.creatine-blog.com
Question
Following is a question regarding “Creatine Solubility” that I haven’t seen addressed within the contents of your website and the answer to which could prove to be of great value and interest not only to myself but to all your readers & visitors to this website. I have yet to receive a fair & comprehensive answer to my question from any other sources which is why I’m now turning to you for help.
Greetings Dr. Franco-Obregón:
I’d like to start things off first by offering to you my heart felt “Thanks” for your website and its mission of … [offering to us (the public) frank, candid & unbiased information, separating fact from fiction, & truth from all the hype] … and also for all you do to accomplish that end! I’ve found it (your website) to be very informative, helpful & educational. Please keep up the “Great” work! In appreciation to the value of your time, I’d like to extend to you a couple of incentives for giving my question priority, the first of which is listed above in that I have yet to discover the issues surrounding my question being currently addressed within the content of your website. I do believe that other readers and visitors to this site would find great value and interest in the answer to my question and with this in mind, I’d like to suggest that rather than responding directly to this email (alone) with your answer, that you would address it in the form of a new article to be added to your current article list for others to enjoy and learn from also. My second incentive for giving my question priority is that if it’s answered to my satisfaction (with clinical study & scientific data references included) I will then purchase your Ebook “Creatine: A practical guide.” I’d like to preface my question with a little background information. I’m a frequent guest/visitor of the website BodyBuilding.com and while reading through a fair number of their articles about creatine supplementation I came across the following 2 statements from differing articles and I quote…
“Dissolve your creatine in a warm beverage. By doing so, due to the laws of thermodynamics, the creatine is solubilized. And when consumed, it can be absorbed much more effectively without all the GI distress.”
“The practice of cooking actually reduces the amount of creatine in meat; the heating converts some of the creatine to its breakdown product called creatinine.”
Now on to my question…
There appears to be somewhat of a contradiction or conflict between these 2 statements…in one it says to dissolve in a warm beverage whereas another discusses how when creatine is heated, this heating process converts or breaks down some of the creatine into “Creatinine.” Granted, cooking meat is subjecting its creatine content to a much more intense form/level of heat than would be realized from a “Warm” beverage and I’m sure this plays a huge role in any differences found in the time frame that it takes for the creatine to be broken down into its “Creatinine” byproduct when placed in these respective environments i.e., “Warm Beverage” vs. “Meat being cooked.” But this leads me to my questions…
1. What are these “Time-Frame” differences in how long it typically takes for creatine to be broken down into creatinine when subjected to heat (heat meaning, warmer than say room
temp.?)2. Are there any “Studies” to your knowledge that have been done addressing these issues, primarily, if creatine is placed in a warm/hot beverage for consumption, how long will it take before it begins to be broken down into “Creatinine?”
3. Or any “Studies” that do a comparison between differing temperature variables vs. the amount of time for “Break Down?” So for example, “At room temp, it will take X amount of time, at 90 degrees it will take X amount, at 100 degrees X amount etc. etc. right on up the line all the way to typical cooking type temps?”
For example again, one of the quotes listed above mentions how when creatine is mixed with water or other fluids, some of the creatine will “Eventually” start to convert to creatinine. I’m assuming then that when additional heat is applied or introduced it will speed up this conversion/break down process. So it would be nice to know how long I have (what kind of time frame) when I mix my creatine with a heated cup of water (to increase its solubility and make its absorption more effective) how long or how much time do I have (in case I’ve made the water a little to hot for chugging purposes and need to let it cool down a bit) to consume it before it begins to lose its effectiveness due to being broken down or converted into creatinine because of the heat? It sounds to me as though there’s a fine line/balancing point in here somewhere. On one hand, you’re trying to make it more soluble to improve its absorptive qualities thereby making its uptake more effective … and then on the other hand, you could be losing or trading in some of that gained effectiveness because of the “Heat” issue and how that factor increases or speeds up the degradation process into creatines worthless byproduct… “Creatinine.” I look forward to your reply and I thank you in advance for your time and consideration regarding my questions and these issues!
Sincerely,
Rob Etnyre!!!
Stay tuned for the answer to this question in a few days….
3 Comments
What is the best type of creatine on the market? There seems to be many choices today and everyone claims their’s is the best. There are new forms from creatine that has a molecule of sugar tied to a molecule of creatine for more effective absortion to buffered creatine which is supposed to slow the breadown of creatine so one can get more into the cells. There is of coure the old type creatine that starts breaking down as soon as it hits water. Can you give me a straight unclouded answer?
Regars,
Britt L. Watts
Creatine is a natural substance found in muscle and has proven to be a safe and powerful dietary supplement. It does, however, deplete rapidly, hence the need for supplementation in any serious fitness regimen. Increasing muscle stores of creatine to beneficial levels cannot be done through food alone. Creatine supplements are known to enhance the rate at which we build muscle and body mass, by supplying us with that needed burst of energy at just the right time. Creatine also delays muscular fatigue and enables you to train harder and more consistently. I can recommend a site where their creatine supplements are created by fitness professionals according to FDA standards and Best Manufacturing Practices. They publish the dosage and frequency for your body type, with the ingredients stated as they appear on the label of the supplement so there is no mistaking how it should be taken. Not only that but they are able to tell you the best times in your workout routine to actually take your supplements. There are also volumes of free content about fitness in general as well as hundreds of exercises posted with computer modeling. This website can walk you through the maze of information and products available on the market today and help you meet your individual fitness goals. They’ll answer your questions, too, and there are great explanatory videos that give you the lowdown on their creatine supplements and the other compounds that make their formulas top notch. It’s worth a look.
Swan: Thanks for your post. Feel free to send any of your clients to our websites for more information about how creatine can be combined with nutrition and exercise for optimal athletic performance.