It is the most popular nutritional ergogenic aid because of its effectiveness in performance and yet no major harmful effects have been recorded even when taken in large doses. However, there is a concern with the possible effect on renal function, particularly in individuals with impaired renal capacity. Its use as a performance aid started booming after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona when some athletes in track and field claimed creatine helped their performance. To understand the function of creatine and how it works requires basic knowledge of biochemistry. Creatine is appropriately termed phosphocreatine or creatine phosphate. During high intensity exercise, ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the major energy currency of the cell, is being used in muscle contraction. If the muscle construction is happening for long periods of time, fatigue occurs. Muscle fatigue is associated with decreased ATP concentration. To form more ATP, Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) has to receive another inorganic phosphate group and with use of …show more content…
It’s a substance made within the body that helps turn fat into energy. It is made in the liver and kidneys and stored in the skeletal muscles, brain, sperm, and heart. Carnitine has been prescribed to many patients in treatments for heart conditions, peripheral vascular disease and many others for its role as an antioxidant. For improving exercise performance, carnitine supplements have been proven to aid through enhancing muscle fatty acid oxidation and acylcarnitine production, altering glucose homeostasis, and muscle fatigue resistance. Increasing the combustion of fat during lengthy exercises with combinations of limited stored carbohydrates can increase endurance capacity. The role of carnitine in the body is to help transport long-chain fatty acids, into the mitochondria of cells. Once the fatty acids reach the inside of the mitochondria, they are oxidized and used as a fuel to make ATP. Carnitine does this work both during exercise and the resting period. It is scientifically proven that it is mostly effective during intense exercise. Without an adequate amount of carnitine, most fats can’t make their way into the mitochondria and be used as a fuel. If the body doesn’t produce enough carnitine, it can lead to many medical conditions such as muscle weakness, enlarged liver, and a number of other problems. It’s been found recently that carnitine enchases insulin’s actions in muscle cells. It can keep