Valine, an amino acid obtained by hydrolysis of proteins, was first isolated from casein by the German chemist Emil Fischer (1901). It is one of several so-called essential amino acids for poultry and mammals; that is, they cannot synthesize it and require a dietary source. It is synthesized in plants and microorganisms from pyruvate, a product of carbohydrate breakdown. The chemical structure of valine is creatine (C4H9N3O2), which is a popular legal over-the-counter dietary supplement used by athletes during training and in preparation for competition. It is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the human body, produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and stored primarily in muscle tissue. It's also found in protein sources like meat and fish. The average human consumes approximately 1 gram of creatine per day from nutritional sources.
creatine
creatine
Creatine is not a steroid or stimulant, but has been known since the early 1900's for its potentiating (performance-enhancing) properties. It became widely available and popular as a supplement in the early 1990s. Creatine is commonly used to increase body weight and muscle mass and enhance strength training. It seems to help improve performance in short bursts of high-intensity exercise, such as bench pressing or cycling sprints. It's not good for aerobic endurance. There has also been speculation that creatine supplementation may even help improve mental performance
valine structure
The mechanism by which creatine supplementation improves athletic performance is not fully understood, although there are various theories. Creatine appears to help athletes recover from strenuous exercise. The body uses creatine to make creatine phosphate, which acts as a buffer to keep adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production going. ATP is the fuel used by muscles during exercise, and the by-product is adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creatine, among other things, essentially helps to regenerate ADP back into ATP, thus replenishing the energy stores of the muscles. Using creatine can also lead to weight gain and increased muscle mass, which can amount to several pounds per week. Part of this may be due to water retention.
