CREATINE - Should you use it?
WHAT IS CREATINE?
The internet is full of ads about various supplements and sports drinks. After all, it’s clear creatine needs to work when the side of the jar says “increase muscle mass and reduce catabolism by 587%”! What is the truth?
Creatine has been studied extensively for over 20 years. Creatine is a combination of three amino acids; arginine, methionine and lysine. Our body produces about a gram of creatine a day and it is naturally found in beef in about 1 gram per 100 g of raw meat. Other foods that contain creatine include: herring, salmon, tuna, chicken and cod.
However, it must be taken into account that in order to get 5 g of creatine (daily recommendation) – you need to consume more than a kilo of herring.
WHAT CREATINE DOES?
The use of a creatine supplement increases the phosphocreatine content of the muscles, which allows for a larger size of the muscle energy stores and this results in improved performance. Creatine supplementation increases body weight by about 1-3 kg depending on size. Creatine-induced weight gain is likely due to an increase in fluid in the muscle. The use of creatine supplementation has generally been found to increase maximal power output and delay fatigue. There is also research evidence that ingestion of creatine supplementation increases muscle growth.
Ingestion of creatine is beneficial in a wide variety of sports performances. Creatine, or more specifically phosphocreatine, is an important source of energy used by muscles for rapid performance. Indeed, the intake of creatine as a dietary supplement increases muscle mass mainly through intensified exercise.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING CREATINE?
Creatine has been extensively studied and is probably the most effective and safe supplement on the market. When ingested, creatine is mainly stored in the muscles. Creatine is a very effective supplement to improve the performance of an amateur and athlete and increase muscle mass. Creatine and athletes in particular benefit from creatine. Creatine has been found to improve performance by an average of 3-10% at high-intensity performances of less than 30 seconds. It also increases the amount of power by 5-15% in interval training. In addition, creatine improves the development of maximal strength on average and muscle endurance. Creatine can also promote injury healing. Vegetarians in particular benefit from the use of a creatine supplement, as their daily diet contains little creatine.
In addition, much of that nutrient is lost during cooking. Therefore, we recommend using a supplement if you want to increase the amount of creatine in your body. The best creatine supplement is Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate (Amazon’s best seller). Buy it here.
Creatine is recommended for those who are no longer beginners and progress has already slowed down. In this case even a small additional boost to training produces results.
However you can take a break from creatine during a lighter training session. After use creatine levels are elevated for another 1-2 months.
Creatine is safe for everyone at reasonable doses and has evidence from hundreds of studies. However, creatine and great-sounding supplements alone are not enough for anything. Good nutrition, exercise plan and rest are always the key.
OTHER BENEFITS OF CREATINE
The use of creatine can also have other health effects. Recently the benefits of creatine supplementation for various health variables have begun to be explored. It has been found that creatine potentially increases bone mineral density and thus is beneficial to bone. The use of creatine has also been found to improve reaction time, memory, and reasoning ability. Positive effects in the treatment of depression have also been observed.
Creatine is also very effective in preventing cognitive fatigue in solutions and exercises for stressful tasks. The link between creatine and various health variables is currently being studied very much, and it may be that we will hear more about the health benefits of creatine in the future.
If you are not yet taking a creatine supplement, you may want to consider taking it. If you want to get the benefits of creatine right away, start with a refuelling cycle, i.e. enjoy 5 grams of creatine 5 grams a day for a week. Then continue to use creatine at a dose of 3-5 g / day.
Creatine monohydrate is the only sensible form due to its low cost and reliable functionality.
Creatine should be taken with a carbohydrate meal or drink so that it is efficiently transported to the muscles by insulin.