Taylor Scheel
Source support paper
Kronick
English 123
Introduction
Have you ever been to the gym and seen a guy who is just ripped? Most likely he is taking creatine because it is legal to take and use while in nationally sanctioned sports. Creatine basically creates more energy. The more energy you have means that you can lift more because the lactic acid which makes your muscles hurt doesn't get introduced as quickly. This is bad for your muscles because it dehydrates them and thats when you start cramping and cramps can vary in severity of pain. Creatine should be considered an illegal supplement in the sports world because of these reasons, and with more energy you are basically able to get the same output as if you had used steroids. Issue Question
Should Creatine be considered a steroid in the sports world?
Thesis
Creatine supplements should be thought of like a steroid in the sports world because it does have the same results as steroids.
Reason
One reason Creatine supplements are like steroids is they help produce a massive muscle gain. In his article Creatine Supplements for Strength and Fitness, Paul Rogers says “When a phosphate group is hydrolyzed, energy in the form of heat is given off and this energy is used to drive whatever process is being performed, for example muscle contraction. Because one phosphate has been lost from the ATP it is now called ADP (adenine Di-phosphate). The reaction is as follows ATP (hydrolysis)=ADP + Energy. Now you have free ADP as a product from the ATP hydrolysis. ADP is pretty much useless in the body unless it is converted back into ATP. Now this is where creatine comes into play. The phosphate bound creatine donates it's phosphate group to the ADP to re-form ATP.” What this is saying is that when you use energy it takes a phosphate away from ATP that then changes to ADP and takes about a day to return to ATP. If you use creatine it bonds its phosphate with ADP and creates ATP again, so there is no resting period of your muscle. This is why they dehydrate and you cramp up. Another reason it should be banned from sports like steroids is that while taking while taking Creatine supplements your muscles become dehydrated so you have to drink two-three times as much water to keep from cramping and on the more severe side tearing or pulling a muscle. (Salomons 279) These conditions worsen with heat so if you play football and you take creatine before practice and its 90 degrees outside you are going to cramp up once you sweat that water out and if you keep being active thats when more health problems could occur.
Objection
Critics say that just because it increases muscle mass does not mean it does the same thing as steroids. They also believe that after eight years with no severe side effects one can begin to assume that creatine is relatively safe. Some researchers say that the Creatine supplements are not affected by the heat and actually increases