The Use of Creatine in Sports Essay -- Athletics Steroids Drugs Sports

The Use of Creatine in Sports The first weeks of my senior season of football were the toughest times I had ever had in my life. We had two practices a day. We had one practice early in the morning, and one late in the afternoon. Physically, I wasn't at a level like most of my teammates. I felt like I couldn't do anything on the high school level; plus I was being thrown around like a rag doll. I needed something that would help me reach my potential. That's when I tried creatine. I started out taking small doses of creatine as an energy booster before practice, noticing that I wasn't getting tired and out of breath like I once was. I continued to use the supplement before I did any type of exercising activity, although I never exceeded the daily amount. I used the supplement for about three weeks, noticing muscle development and body fat loss all over my body. Gradually, I started reducing my dose each day until my supply was gone. In my short three weeks of taking creatine, I gained about 4-5 pounds of lean muscle. I was being noticed in practice and was getting more playing time in games. I was still unsure about what consequences I would have to face if I continued to use the substance. I needed to know more. Everything has a price; l wanted to figure out what mine could be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It's been called the drug that separates the great from the greatest. It has helped athletes all over the world reach their potential. Creatine is an all natural food and supplement drug that works like anabolic steroids without the side effects. It has the capability to help produce muscle mass, energy, and speed all in one pill. Over the past few years, creatine has become a controversial issue in the athletic world. A lot of research has been put into creatine although long-term effects are left unknown, leaving the controversial question of whether creatine should be legal or illegal. Being a former user of creatine showed me how I could maximize my potential athletic ability, although leaving me cynical about harm to my body. I wanted to know more specifically how it works on the chemical level and major side effects and precautions I should take if I were going to continue using the supplement. The only way for my to find the answers to my questions was with research. I began interviewing people who knew more about creatine while at the same time I began my own rese... ...arch 12, 1999 Bernards, Neal. War on Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven Books, 1990. Creatine and Muscle Building. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/askdiet/na/get960901.htm, April 14, 1999. Creatine FAQ’s. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.nutrasense.com/nutrasense/creatine.html, March 13, 1999. Dreyfuss, Ira. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.nando.net/newsroom/aploth/1996/mor/feat/archive/091596/mar/75430.html, March 15, 1999. High Power Creatine. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.whole-salecreatine.com/1013/faq.htm Jalloh, Ali. Telephone interview. 27 April. 2000. Klein, Scott. Creatine. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://nimbus.ocis.temple.edu/~sklein/#ABOUT, May 6, 1998 London, David. Creatine Concerns in England. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/wc98/full/wc98.htm, April 5, 1999. Marks, Alexandra. â€Å"Schools Wrestle with ‘Bulk in a Bottle’†. The Christian Science Monitor. September 30, 1998. Mumby, Chris. Personal interview. 2 Mar. 1999. Potratz, Adam. Personal interview. 3 Mar. 1999. Sahelian, Ray. Creatine Nature’s Muscle Builder. [Online] Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.raysahelian.com/creatine.html, March 12, 1999.