What is creatine? Experts on its health benefits for both body and brain
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market today and is a favourite topic of Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright – partly because of its versatility, but also because of how overlooked it has been in female health.
The naturally occurring compound is manufactured in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, and derives from three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine. About 95 per cent of it is found in the skeletal muscles – the ones connected to our bones – while the rest is in the brain.
Animal-based foods are natural sources of creatine. While plants do not have creatine, they contain the amino acids the body needs to build creatine on its own.
In supplement form, it is known as creatine monohydrate, 'one of the most rigorously studied supplements in existence', Wright says.
Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright. Photo: Beth Wright
Though long considered to be mostly for men who lift heavy weights and elite athletes in competition, the word is out that it can do so much more.
Dozens of high-quality human trials have shown its benefits in boosting physical performance, and muscle and bone health.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China-Ghana row over gold, how to claim tax refunds as a tourist: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing The leading academic finds grounds for 'moderate optimism' after leading a group of American students on a 10-day tour of China. Factory activity in China edged upwards in June but stayed in contractionary territory for a third straight month, as the country battles soft demand and the effects of a trade war with the United States. People walk past Tesla electric vehicles at the carmaker's delivery centre in Beijing in January. Unique EV features like regenerative braking systems can induce motion sickness, according to researchers. Photo: Reuters After Chinese scientists pinpoint causes of EV motion sickness, Japanese researchers say a simple sound therapy may be the answer.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What is creatine? Experts on its health benefits for both body and brain
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market today and is a favourite topic of Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright – partly because of its versatility, but also because of how overlooked it has been in female health. The naturally occurring compound is manufactured in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, and derives from three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine. About 95 per cent of it is found in the skeletal muscles – the ones connected to our bones – while the rest is in the brain. Animal-based foods are natural sources of creatine. While plants do not have creatine, they contain the amino acids the body needs to build creatine on its own. In supplement form, it is known as creatine monohydrate, 'one of the most rigorously studied supplements in existence', Wright says. Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright. Photo: Beth Wright Though long considered to be mostly for men who lift heavy weights and elite athletes in competition, the word is out that it can do so much more. Dozens of high-quality human trials have shown its benefits in boosting physical performance, and muscle and bone health.
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China steps up deep-sea science role with UN-backed oceans exploration project
A China-led international deep-sea cooperative exploration project has won United Nations approval, paving the way for Beijing's increased participation in global science and technology governance. Advertisement The Global Hadal Exploration Programme (GHEP) aims to penetrate the mysteries of the deepest waters, in response to the UN goal of protecting and sustainably developing the oceans. The multi-country initiative, spearheaded by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was selected earlier this month for inclusion in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which runs from 2021 to 2030. Under the Ocean Decade framework, a global abyssal research centre will be established to run annual crewed expeditions into the hadal zone, which lies within the oceanic trenches, and provide regular public reports, according to a CAS release on June 18. Rui Bao, professor of deep-sea science at the Ocean University of China, said the GHEP programme 'serves our national marine science development and strategy'. Advertisement 'Its endorsement by the UN Ocean Decade reflects China's increasing leadership and influence within the specialised field of global deep-sea exploration,' he said.
