Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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03.09.2009 |
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Creatine pyruvate works better than creatine citrate
The shadow side of the best supplement known to power sports – creatine – is what sports supplement expert Will Brink calls the Creatine Graveyard. [Google] This is the collection of creatine varieties that producers have tried to sell, with little success. Brink mentions creatine citrate and pyruvate in his article, and according to this study, the days of creatine citrate are indeed numbered.
It's worth noting though that the study was funded by Degussa, a manufacturer of pure creatine, and supplements maker FSI Nutrition. FSI Nutrition makes creatine citrate and under its own name FSI manufactures Creatine Edge, which contains creatine citrate.
Before the experiment started, the men had to squeeze handsprings as hard as they could. The researchers increased the tension in the springs and measured when the men were no longer able to squeeze them shut. Then the men were given one minute rest, after which the procedure was repeated, ten times. The figure below shows the effect of the supplements and the amount of power the men developed. Dark = before; grey = after.
Creatine pyruvate increased the strength in the test subjects' hands. Creatine citrate also increased their strength, but pyruvate worked better. The table below shows the effect on the force for a few of the sessions.
The researchers believe that the muscles may use pyruvate as a fuel. From the literature the researchers conclude that long-term use of several grams of pyruvate daily leads to a raised level of pyruvate in the body. "Cr-Pyr might benefit endurance, due to enhanced activity of the aerobic metabolism", the researchers conclude.
We wonder what would have happened if the researchers had also examined the effect of ordinary creatine, or creatine in combination with glucose. Would pyruvate still have been so promising?
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