Creatine monohydrate, a classic supplement in sports nutrition, provides energy for high-intensity activities by increasing muscle phosphocreatine reserves. However, its effectiveness is highly dependent on individual populations. This article systematically analyzes the core populations suitable for creatine monohydrate supplementation from the perspectives of exercise needs, physiological characteristics, and nutritional structure, providing professional reference for its scientific use.
I. Populations with high-intensity exercise performance needs
Anaerobic exercise enthusiasts
(1) Strength training enthusiasts (weightlifting/resistance training)
Strength training enthusiasts are a typical beneficiary group of creatine monohydrate, especially those who focus on weightlifting and resistance training to increase muscle mass and strength. In strength training, muscles need to generate powerful force in a short time, a process highly dependent on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for energy. However, the amount of ATP stored in human muscles is limited, only enough to maintain high-intensity contractions for a few seconds. The role of creatine monohydrate is that it can combine with phosphate in muscles to form phosphocreatine (CP), serving as a rapid source of ATP replenishment. When ATP is rapidly depleted, creatine phosphate quickly breaks down, releasing phosphate groups that bind to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to rapidly resynthesize ATP, providing a continuous energy supply to muscles.
By supplementing with creatine monohydrate, strength training enthusiasts can significantly increase their creatine phosphate reserves in their muscles. This allows them to more effectively combat fatigue during training and shorten recovery time between sets. For example, during barbell bench press training, trainees who do not supplement with creatine may find it difficult to maintain proper form and sufficient power output after 3-4 sets due to muscle fatigue; while trainees who supplement with creatine monohydrate, due to a more abundant supply of muscle energy, are often able to complete 5-6 sets, or even more, and may also be able to increase the number of repetitions per set, thus more effectively stimulating muscle growth and strength improvement. Related research data shows that strength trainees who regularly supplement with creatine monohydrate can improve their 1RM (one-repetition maximum) test results by an average of 5%-10%, which is a considerable improvement in the fitness field that pursues strength limits.
(2) Explosive Athletes (Sprinting/Jumping/Combat Sports)
For athletes engaged in explosive sports such as sprinting, jumping, and combat sports, creatine monohydrate is also a key supplement for enhancing athletic performance. These sports are characterized by the need for extremely high muscle power output in a very short time, resulting in a huge instantaneous demand for energy, with the phosphagen system being the primary energy supply pathway. Taking sprinting as an example, during the start and acceleration phases, the athlete’s muscles need to generate powerful explosive force instantaneously, requiring rapid ATP breakdown for energy. At this time, creatine phosphate, under the action of creatine monohydrate, rapidly replenishes ATP, ensuring continuous and rapid muscle contraction. Studies have shown that sprinters supplementing with creatine monohydrate can experience a 3%-8% speed increase in the first 30 meters of acceleration after the start, which is sufficient to provide a significant advantage in intense competition.
In jumping events, such as long jump and high jump, athletes need to utilize muscle explosiveness to achieve a rapid approach run and takeoff. Creatine monohydrate can enhance muscle power output during this process, enabling athletes to jump farther or higher. In combat sports, whether it’s the speed and power of punches in boxing or the instantaneous force exertion in wrestling and judo, it all relies on the powerful explosiveness and rapid recovery ability of muscles. Creatine monohydrate not only enhances explosive power but also accelerates muscle energy recovery after repeated high-intensity sparring, allowing athletes to maintain a stable competitive state during matches, reducing technical distortions and errors caused by fatigue, and thus gaining the upper hand in the competition.
Special Nutritional Structures
Individuals with Insufficient Dietary Creatine Intake
(1) Vegetarians and Those on Low-Animal-Protein Diets
Vegetarians and those on low-animal-protein diets have significantly lower creatine intake than the general population due to their dietary habits. Creatine is mainly found in animal foods such as meat and fish. Each kilogram of raw meat contains approximately 1-2 grams of creatine. Vegetarians, however, rely primarily on plant-based foods, which contain almost no creatine. This results in them obtaining less than 0.3 grams of creatine daily from food, far below the level required to maintain normal muscle function and energy metabolism. Prolonged low creatine intake leads to lower muscle phosphocreatine reserves, making muscles more prone to fatigue and significantly limiting athletic performance during daily activities such as lifting heavy objects, climbing stairs, or engaging in simple physical exercises.
Supplementing with creatine monohydrate is a simple and effective way to improve the condition for vegetarians and those on low-animal-protein diets. By supplementing with creatine monohydrate, they can make up for the creatine deficiency in their diet, increase the phosphocreatine content in their muscles, and thus optimize muscle energy metabolism efficiency. Studies comparing the muscle strength and endurance performance of vegetarians before and after creatine monohydrate supplementation have found that after supplementation, the average number of repetitions in simple strength tests such as arm flexion and extension increased by 20%-30%, and muscle fatigue was significantly reduced. This indicates that creatine monohydrate effectively enhances their muscle function and improves their physical performance in daily life and exercise.
(2) Dietary Restriction Groups (Postoperative/Swallowing Disorders)
For postoperative patients and those with dietary restrictions such as swallowing disorders, obtaining sufficient nutrition faces many challenges. Creatine monohydrate has unique value in maintaining their muscle function. Postoperative patients are in the wound repair phase, requiring a large amount of energy to promote wound healing and tissue repair. At the same time, the body’s stress response leads to increased muscle catabolism. If sufficient nutrients, especially protein and energy-related nutrients, are not replenished in time, the risk of muscle loss will significantly increase. Patients with swallowing difficulties often struggle to meet their body’s nutritional needs through a regular diet, leading to protein-energy malnutrition and further impacting muscle mass and function.
Crecast amylase, as a single-component nutritional supplement, is easily dissolved and absorbed, making it ideal for these individuals with dietary restrictions. It can provide energy support without increasing the digestive burden. For example, postoperative patients in the early recovery phase may only be able to consume liquid or semi-liquid diets. Adding creatine monohydrate to their diet can help maintain muscle strength and mass while ensuring low-burden intake, promoting recovery. Clinical studies show that postoperative patients who supplement with creatine monohydrate experience a 15%-20% reduction in muscle strength during the postoperative recovery phase compared to those who do not supplement, and they also demonstrate better endurance performance during rehabilitation training. This helps them recover physical function more quickly and shortens the recovery period.
Age-Related Muscle Health Maintenance Groups
High-Risk Groups for Sarcopenia in Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals
(1) Muscle Loss in Individuals Aged 50+
As people age, muscle mass and function gradually decline, which is a natural physiological process. Starting from age 50, muscle mass is lost at a rate of approximately 1%-2% per year. This phenomenon is known as sarcopenia. Muscle loss not only weakens physical strength and affects daily activities such as climbing stairs and lifting heavy objects, but also increases the risk of falls, fractures, and other accidents, seriously impacting the quality of life and independence of middle-aged and elderly individuals.
Crevicine monohydrate shows a positive effect in addressing muscle loss in middle-aged and elderly individuals. It can promote the synthesis of proteins within muscle cells, providing the necessary material basis for muscle growth and repair. At the same time, creatine monohydrate can also enhance muscle hydration, allowing muscle cells to store more water, increasing muscle volume and strength. By supplementing with creatine monohydrate, middle-aged and elderly individuals can, to some extent, slow down the process of muscle atrophy and maintain muscle mass and strength. Studies show that people over 50 years old who regularly supplement with creatine monohydrate and combine it with appropriate resistance training experience an average increase in muscle strength of 10%-15% and a significant improvement in muscle quality. This makes them more agile in daily life, better able to complete various activities, and reduces the risk of accidents caused by muscle weakness.
(2) Groups prone to muscle cramps after exercise
Middle-aged and elderly people are more prone to muscle cramps after exercise, mainly because with age, the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, electrolyte balance, and blood circulation in muscles all decline. Muscle cramps not only cause pain but may also affect the sustainability and safety of exercise. Although compound creatine products such as zinc magnesium creatine have certain advantages in regulating electrolyte balance, creatine monohydrate can also reduce the occurrence of muscle cramps through its unique mechanism of action.
Creamine monohydrate can increase the water content of muscles and enhance the hydration of muscle cells, which helps maintain the normal structure and function of muscle cells, enabling muscles to better adapt to various stimuli during exercise. When muscles are adequately hydrated, their contraction and relaxation functions are smoother, thus reducing the risk of muscle cramps. For middle-aged and elderly people, adequate water intake is crucial when supplementing with creatine monohydrate. It is generally recommended to supplement with about 100 ml of water for every gram of creatine monohydrate ingested. This can further enhance the effect of creatine monohydrate on improving muscle hydration, helping middle-aged and elderly people better maintain normal muscle function after exercise, reducing the discomfort caused by cramps, allowing them to participate in exercise more safely and comfortably, and promoting physical health.
Special Scenarios and Target Health Groups
1. Individuals with High Occupational Physical Demands
(1) Military/Police Officers and Firefighters
Military personnel and firefighters face extreme physical challenges when performing their duties. Their work often involves prolonged high-intensity physical activity, heavy lifting, and the need for explosive power when responding to sudden emergencies. During missions, they need to maintain a high level of alertness and physical coordination to ensure the successful completion of tasks and their own safety. For example, firefighters need to carry heavy equipment such as fire extinguishers and hoses for extended periods during firefighting and rescue operations; military and police personnel may need to perform high-intensity actions such as sprinting, climbing, and fighting during arrest and patrol duties, all of which place extremely high demands on their muscle strength and endurance.
Creatine monohydrate is of great importance to this group. It can store extra energy in the muscles. When their muscles require rapid energy supply during missions, phosphocreatine rapidly breaks down to release energy and resynthesize ATP, thus delaying the accumulation of fatigue. Studies have shown that military personnel and firefighters who supplement with creatine monohydrate experience an average delay of 15-20 minutes in the onset of muscle fatigue during simulated high-intensity work scenarios. This allows them to maintain accuracy and endurance for longer periods during task execution, effectively improving task completion efficiency and safety.
(2) Individuals Engaged in Prolonged Mental Work
Although creatine monohydrate primarily acts on skeletal muscle, providing energy support for muscle movement, recent research shows that it also plays an important role in brain energy metabolism. Individuals engaged in prolonged mental work, such as researchers, financial analysts, and programmers, require prolonged periods of high concentration, complex thinking, analysis, and decision-making in their daily work, resulting in significant energy consumption by the brain. Prolonged exposure to this high-load work state can easily lead to cognitive fatigue, manifested as difficulty concentrating, decreased memory, and slowed thinking, affecting work efficiency and quality.
Creatine monohydrate may cross the blood-brain barrier and support the energy metabolism of neurons. When the brain is engaged in high-intensity cognitive activity, phosphocreatine breaks down in the brain to provide additional energy to neurons, helping to maintain normal brain function and improve cognitive fatigue. Related studies have found that subjects who supplemented with creatine monohydrate showed significantly improved reaction speed and accuracy during cognitive tests lasting several hours compared to those who did not supplement, and also experienced a significant reduction in subjective fatigue. This indicates that creatine monohydrate has potential benefits for mental workers in high-pressure work environments requiring sustained concentration, helping them maintain good mental state and efficient thinking abilities during long working hours.
2. Rehabilitation and Functional Optimization Populations
(1) Patients in the Muscle Injury Recovery Period
Muscle injury is a common sports injury and disease, such as strains, sprains, and tears. Patients need to go through a long recovery period after injury to restore the normal structure and function of the muscles. During the muscle injury recovery period, patients usually need to undergo rehabilitation training, such as muscle strength training and joint range of motion training, to promote muscle repair and regeneration and restore limb motor function. However, due to decreased muscle function after injury, patients often face problems such as insufficient strength and poor endurance during rehabilitation training, affecting the rehabilitation effect and progress.
Under the guidance of a doctor, patients in the muscle injury recovery period can reasonably supplement with creatine monohydrate to help improve muscle repair efficiency. Creatine monohydrate can promote muscle protein synthesis, providing the necessary material basis for the repair of damaged muscle tissue. At the same time, it can also enhance strength performance during rehabilitation training, allowing patients to withstand greater loads during training, thereby more effectively stimulating muscle recovery. Clinical studies have shown that muscle injury patients who supplemented with creatine monohydrate while receiving rehabilitation treatment experienced a 20% – 30% faster increase in muscle strength during the recovery process than those who did not supplement, and the muscle function recovery period was shortened by an average of 1-2 weeks, which helps patients return to normal life and work faster.
(2) Individuals Maintaining Muscle Mass During Fat Loss
During the fat loss process, controlling calorie intake to create a calorie deficit is key, but this often leads to the body breaking down muscle tissue to provide energy while consuming fat, resulting in lean body mass loss. The reduction in lean body mass not only makes the body look flabby, but also lowers the basal metabolic rate, reducing the energy consumed by the body at rest, increasing the difficulty of fat loss, and making weight rebound more likely after fat loss. Therefore, maintaining muscle mass during the fat loss phase is crucial for achieving healthy and sustainable weight loss results.
Creatine monohydrate plays an important role during the fat loss phase. It promotes anabolic signaling by activating relevant signaling pathways within muscle cells, increasing protein synthesis, and reducing muscle protein breakdown. Studies have shown that individuals supplementing with creatine monohydrate during a calorie deficit experienced approximately 3-5 kg less lean body mass loss over an 8-week fat loss period compared to those who did not supplement, while maintaining a higher basal metabolic rate. This indicates that creatine monohydrate can help individuals in the fat loss phase maximize muscle retention while reducing fat, optimizing body composition, leading to more ideal weight loss results and a more toned physique.
