To perform optimally, muscles need energy. The body provides the energy needed in situations requiring immediate, high-intensity actions as in exercise, in the form of ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. Since the body has only a limited supply of ATP, usually to last only a few seconds of intense exercise, ATP is continuously produced to supply energy in order for the muscles to function. The burst of energy is produced by the breakdown of ATP when one phosphate group is released, which packs considerable metabolic energy. The body uses creatine phosphate to quickly replenish ATP. The more energy the muscles store, the better they can perform in events, which require intense, immediate energy, such as weightlifting, sprinting, jumping, football, hockey and soccer. Since creatine is stored in the muscle as creatine phosphate, intake of supplemental creatine can increase the production of energy enabling muscles to perform at higher intensity. While the body produces its own supply of creatine, it is not sufficient to supply the muscle with the added energy necessary for intense performance. |