Creatine
Creatine, discovered by Michel Eugene Chevreul in 1832, is
a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in the human
body, and assists in the release of energy by adenosine tri-phosphate
or ATP molecules as part of the Krebs cycle, while helping
to maintain the efficiency of this process.
Touch your skin and feel the warmth, that is your body’s
ATP molecules at work, aided by creatine and its converted
form, creatine phosphate.
In the body, creatine is synthesized in the liver from three
different amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine, and
95% is stored in the skeletal muscles. The average 70Kg male
stores between 120g-140g of creatine in their muscles, and
a balance diet contains only 1g a day, so creatine supplements
are highly recommended for any serious athlete, and particularly
for bodybuilders.
Creatine is probably the most popular and most effective
bodybuilding supplement on the market. It is backed by over
five hundred published, peer reviewed studies which show conclusively
that creatine improves training all round, from performance
to recovery to muscle mass, concentration, mental function,
virtual all aspects of your workout routine. As a result,
almost three million kilograms are consumed every year by
athletes.
Muscles need ATP to provide the energy they need to contract.
During periods of high-intensity effort (such as a serious
weight training session), the ATP stores in the muscles can
become depleted in as little as ten seconds. Taking creatine
supplements before or during a workout replenishes the body’s
natural supply of ATP and therefore allows the muscles to
work for longer.
Phosphocreatine also reduces the production of lactic acid,
which is what causes muscles to fatigue. This allows you to
maintain maximum effort during your workout for longer, which
is crucial if you want to push your muscles hard and create
the microtrauma needed to stimulate a transformation reaction.
And creatine even acts as a cell-volumizer, causing movement
of water into the muscle cells, making them bigger and therefore
stronger, allowing you to lift heavier weights and get results
faster.
In fact, hard evidence shows that creatine can improve muscle
mass, growth, strength, power output and agility. Athletes
who take creatine supplements as part of their regular nutrition
programme are proven to perform better in their chosen sports
than those who do not, whether they are sprinters or high
jumpers. Or bodybuilders. Creatine helps you maximize the
potential of your training and get the results you want fast.
If you are starting to use creatine for the first time,
experts suggest a loading phase to build your muscles’ creatine
stores up to the desired level, followed by a maintenance
phase to keep those supplies topped up at all times. Small
doses taken frequently are shown to maximize the uptake of
creatine by the body, which is important because around two-thirds
of the creatine you take will end up leaving your body in
your urine due to poor absorption.
For best results, a loading period of 20g per day split
into four doses is recommended for seven days, and thereafter
2-3g a day split into small doses. Muscles have a maximum
amount of creatine that they can hold, so after the loading
period, taking more than around 3g a day will produce no extra
benefits.
Creatine supplements are generally split into three different
varieties. Creatine monohydrate is the most popular, simplest,
and cheapest form. It is a white powder easily mixed with
drinks or meal replacement shakes for convenience, and so
easily taken during a workout (just add some to the isotonic
beverage of your choice). The downside of this form of creatine
is that quality can vary, and absorption rates are poor. Manufacturers
suggest taking up to 20g per day of creatine monohydrate even
after the loading period because of this.
Creatine transport is a blend of creatine monohydrate and
carbohydrate. The carbohydrate raises the bodies insulin levels,
which increases the rate that creatine is transported to the
muscles, and therefore also the absorption rate. The disadvantage
of creatine transport if your goal is to lose fat as well
as gain lean muscle mass, is that the carbohydrates can add
excess calories to your diet.
Creatine Ethyl Ester is the newest form of creatine on the
market. It is creatine monohydrate wth an inorganic compound
attached which increases the absorption rate through the walls
of muscle cells. This means that lower doses can be taken,
and no loading period is required because the creatine ethyl
ester is so efficient. However, it is also the most expensive
form of creatine supplement.
Whatever type of creatine you choose, you can rest assured
that it will help you to safely and efficiently push yourself
the extra lengths that a bodybuilder must go in order to transform
their physique and experience the results they dreamed about
when they began their journey to a better body.
Creatine
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