How Creatine Improves Endurance

Creatine, while traditionally associated with strength and power sports, can also offer notable benefits for endurance athletes, especially in specific scenarios. Here's how it helps:

1. Enhanced ATP Resynthesis

Creatine increases the availability of phosphocreatine in muscles, which helps regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the primary energy currency of the cell. During short bursts of high-intensity effort (like a sprint finish or hill climb), this rapid ATP resynthesis can improve performance

2. Improved High-Intensity Capacity

Endurance sports often include short, intense efforts—like surges, breakaways, or final sprints. Creatine helps by:

• Supporting repeated high-intensity efforts
• Delaying fatigue during these bursts

3. Glycogen Resynthesis

Creatine may enhance muscle glycogen storage, especially when taken with carbohydrates. This is crucial for endurance athletes, as glycogen is a primary fuel source during prolonged exercise.

4. Buffering Capacity

Creatine can help buffer hydrogen ions produced during intense exercise, which may delay the onset of muscle fatigue and improve endurance in high-intensity segments.

5. Recovery Support

Some studies suggest creatine may aid in faster recovery between training sessions, allowing for higher training volumes over time.

Considerations

• Water retention: Creatine can cause a slight increase in body weight due to water retention, which might be a concern for some endurance athletes.
• Loading phase not required: A daily dose of ~5g is sufficient over time—no need for a loading phase.