Creatine Review

An overview:
    Creatine or acetic acid is used by skeletal muscles for high energy use. Normally the source of creatine is regular food, especially meat and fish. The creatine that is digested is then stored in muscle tissue until it is needed. Creatine supplements are typically in powder form but also can be a drink or pill. The most popular type of creatine is creatine monohydrate, which is creatine bonded with water. More recently creatine ethyl ester has gained in popularity because it has a much faster absorbtion rate than creatine monohydrate.
    The benefits of creatine are mostly athletic performance. Creatine helps activities where the body uses short bursts of energy, therefor it is widely used for sports such as football, baseball, weightlifting, and others. Creatine has not shown much benefit in aerobic sports such as running and swimming and has even sometimes been considered a hinderance because users of creatine tend to gain extra muscle mass. Some studies have also suggested other benefits of creatine, mainly nerve function.
    While some countries have banned creatine, the majority consider it safe. Most sports allow athletes to use creatine and the FDA has even labeled it a food. There a few known negative side effects to taking creatine. The product has not been around long enough to know the very long term effects, but some reported negative aspects have been kidney damage and dehydration.