Jun 22, 2010
Creatine and Compartment Syndrome
Creatine has long been used by athletes and weightlifters, myself included, because it was considered a safe supplement with no other side effect but that “bloated feeling”. Creatine is an amino acid compound formed in the body by food consumed, mainly meat and fish. Additional supplementation of creatine accomplishes two things: an increase of stored muscle energy known as phosphocreatine and increased muscle hydration. Both of these benefits allow a lifter to get one more rep or an additional set and increased muscle hydration also assists recovery.
Creatine has been thoroughly researched, is considered safe and is classed by the FDA as a food supplement with no restrictions or regulations. However, while doing some research for a new Club Sweat member, I found two interesting studies from the University of Kansas, that show that creatine supplementation significantly increases anterior compartment pressure.
What does this mean? If you have a history of Compartment Syndrome (a condition of elevated pressure within muscles that can damage nerves and muscle tissue and prevent blood flow), or if you suffer from shin splints or other chronic muscle issues, then creatine should probably be avoided.
I have linked the studies below and hope you find them as interesting as I did! If you have any questions contact a trainer at Club Sweat.
-Dan
Certified Personal Trainer
