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Sport / Fitness

All information about Sport / Fitness

At a glance

Athletes and active people place special demands on their energy requirements due to their high activity levels. Not only do they need to consume more energy in the form of calories, but their body also demands higher amounts of minerals and vitamins as well as other trace elements such as antioxidants, plant enzymes or bioactive substances.

In addition, the metabolism of an athlete during individual training sessions sometimes works a little differently than that of an average person. Intensive training, in which the body lacks oxygen for the regular metabolism of glucose, promotes the formation of acids, for example, through the metabolic processes taking place here. The burning of fat and protein in empty glycogen stores leads to the formation of ketones.

Further information

Long-term hyperacidity of the body should be avoided as far as possible. To detect this, it is recommended to measure the pH value of the urine over a longer period of time, for example. One-time measurements are usually not particularly meaningful, as the urine pH can naturally fluctuate between 5.0 and 7.5 during the day. In order to achieve meaningful results, regular measurements should be carried out regularly for at least three to six days. Regularly means about six measurements throughout the day. If it is noticeable in these daily profiles that one moves permanently in the acid range, one should look for the cause. Often, a diet that promotes acid production is the cause. Then a change of this diet is advisable.

Especially in weight training, the substance creatine is often supplemented. Creatine plays an important role in the energy metabolism of the muscles, as it serves to generate energy during short and intense movements. It can promote the maximum strength of the muscles and thus partially increase performance. Creatine is also important for the function of the nerves and brain. The degradation product and excretory form of creatine is creatinine. This is excreted by the kidney and can be measured via test strips in the urine.

It is conceivable that the measurement of creatinine levels in the urine can provide information about creatine supplementation. This connection would be interesting for so-called non-responders. These are people who take creatine but don’t notice any benefit. At around 15 – 18%, the hoped-for positive effect of creatine does not materialize. Whether and how this situation can be proven by creatinine measurement in the urine is not yet clear.

Sources

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  • Edwards, S.L. (2007): Pathophysiology of acid base balance: The theory practice relationship. Intensive Crit Care Nurs.
  • Laski, M.E. & Kurtzmann, N.A. (1996): Acid-base disorders in medicine; Dis Mon., 42 (2): 51-125
  • Hyneck, M.L. (1985): Simple acid base disorders; used to create the superlative. J. Hosp. 42(9): 1992-2004
  • Cramer, J.T. et al. (2007): Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Three Days of Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Power Output, and Neuromuscular Function. J Strength Cond Res, 21(3), 668
  • Rae, C. et al (2003):Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proceedings Biol Sci, 270(1529), 2147-2150
  • Sahlin, K. & Harris, R.C. (2011): The creatine kinase reaction: a simple reaction with functional complexity. Amino Acids, 40(5), 1363-1367
  • Remer, T. (2001): Influence of nutrition on acid-base balance – metabolic aspects. J. Nutr. 40(5): 214-220
  • Branch, J.D. (2003): Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 13(2), 198-226
  • Anomasiri, W. et al. (2004): Low dose creatine supplementation enhances sprint phase of 400 meters swimming performance. J Med Assoc Thai, 87 Suppl 2, S228-32
  • Goedecke, T. (2002): Latente Acidose: Übersäuerung als Ursache chronischer Erkrankungen. Switzerland. Zeitschrift Ganzheitsmedizin, 90-96
  • Jörgensen, H.H. (1988): Mit der Pufferkapazität steht und fällt die Leistung. In: Informationen zur Naturheilkunde. Sommer-Verlag, Teningen
  • Vormann, J. (2003): Harmonisch zum Säure-Basen-Gleichgewicht
  • Jacob’s Knowledge Portal: Urine pH Measurement, URL: https://drjacobs.de/de/urin-ph-messung.html
Status of information: 2022