Creatine boosts Caffeine via ATP regeneration?

[Soulfake]

As Caffeine causes an increase in ATP production and Creatine can regenerate ATP in the body shouldn´t they both have a positive interaction? I always wondered about that as both have a clear connection to ATP but I never read a single report or study about this. I only know about studies claiming that caffeine can either lower or enhance the effect of creatine on the muscles but never heard about the opposite. Also Caffeine can cause slight dehydration and Creatine causes a increase in muscle water storage wouldn´t that be positive?

 

[CFC]

The first science to look at any synergy between creatine and caffeine determined precisely the opposite - that one inhibited the other.

However subsequent studies contradicted that, and I'd tend to believe the two are likely mildly synergistic when used together. This is one reason most commercial pre-workout supplements contain both. You can read more about this (and find references) >>here<<.

 

[Soulfake]

Thanks for the link, I´ve read similar articles but I´m wondering how you could chemically/physiologically describe the effects in regards to ATP? Somehow I don´t understand how the effects of both on ATP would interact with each other, as Caffeine is an ATP antagonist and Creatine regenerates ATP. I´m more focused on the effects from Creatine on Caffeine, if it would make sense to supplement with Creatine if you use a lot of Caffeine for example as I drink very much coffee throughout the day (like for example counteracting the dehydration effect and/or the ATP related (negative?) effects of Caffeine (The studies seem to focus mainly on the effects or interactions of Caffeine with Creatine supplementation for muscle growth)

 

[CFC]

I'm not sure I understand your question fully. Did those studies not make much sense to you?

Caffeine isn't an 'ATP antagonist' - rather (simplistically speaking) it prevents adenosine (the by product of ATP metabolism) from binding to the adenoside receptor, and thus fools your brain into thinking you have lots of energy even when you have little.

It also increases the transmission of excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate and dopamine, which can enhance arousal and agonise the release of some stored energy in the liver to raise blood glucose levels (and thus ultimately ATP).

Creatine, on the other hand, directly assists in the regeneration of ATP (among other things), actually providing more energy substrate for the brain to 'feed' on. So you can appreciate how both together are assumed to be synergistic.

As for adding one to the other, it doesn't matter which way around you do it: 1 + 3 = 4 and so does 3 + 1 = 4.