Reflection #2: Phosphocreatine and Anaerobic Capacity

The timing of the October 10 lecture, our introduction to metabolism, was really interesting due to it aligning pretty well with the beginning of my creatine monohydrate supplementation. I had been reading up on the subject for a while (as anyone should before they begin taking supplements) and was pleasantly surprised to see it discussed in class as a part of anaerobic respiration. The case study “Miracle Man” on Usain Bolt highlighted exactly why I began taking it, as it increases the availability of phosphocreatine in muscles for short-term explosive exercise (such as a sprint). During these first few seconds of intense exercise, the PCr system is the dominant provider of ATP. It works by donating a phosphate group to ADP, forming ATP, in an extremely fast process that does not require oxygen. Hopefully, through this supplementation it will increase my stores of phosphocreatine and enable me to extend this duration of maximal effort before I switch over to aerobic methods. Apparently it takes a few weeks to see a difference in my performance, so I should be noticing something soon if all goes well. Hoping to break that 290lb bench limit that I have been stuck at for about a year now!