Posted by Alex
So what is creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body and is present in muscle tissue. It can be found in its highest amounts in red meats. Once in the muscles, Creatine combines with phosphorous to make Creatine Phosphate, a high powered chemical that rebuilds the muscles' ultimate energy source, Adenosine Triphosphate. The more of this Creatine Phosphate in the muscles means a greater resistance to fatigue.
Creatine is the most justifiable sports supplement available today, and is used by many athletes as a way of increasing their performance in their sports, mainly those that require a quick burst of energy like sprinters and weight lifters.
Creatine is available in pill and powder forms, with the most common being Creatine Monohydrate powder form. There are many different brands to choose from, most containing pretty much the same thing.
What are the benefits of creatine?
More energy during workouts- This is due to ATP regeneration. ATP is the main fuel for muscle contractions. Creatine helps regenerate ATP through its broken down phosphate form, which combines with ADP to form ATP. ATP then provides your muscles with more energy to move and contract. This will help you feel less tired and more energised during workouts.
Greater strength during your workouts- The ATP regeneration keeps your body from relying on glycolosis which is the process where lactic acid is built up in your body. The benefit of this is the reduced lactic acid allows you to work out longer and harder. This helps you overexert your muscles and maximise your workouts, thus gaining more muscle strength and size.
Quick weight gain- It is also proved Creatine is a great aid to gaining weight, especially to hard gainers like me. Although while supplementing with Creatine you will retain a lot of water in your muscles making you look a lot fuller you will also gain a significant amount of muscle. Combining craetine with a good protein or weight gain supplement will be very effective when trying to bulk up and add mass.
Side effects to Creatine?
Studies have shown there are no serious side effects from creatine. However some users have reported a slight bloating and gas during the first week of use. Muscles may tend to retain water due to the creatine supplementation so to avoid dehydration making sure you consume enough water is important.
Conclusion
Overall I feel the benefits of creatine well over surpass the side effects, and from my experience using it and many other bodybuilders it really does work. Over a short period of time using creatine combined with a good workout programme you can gain a decent amount of size & muscle. If you haven’t already tried it, I would definitely advise to give it a try. One point to note is that most creatine products will be most effective if used on a 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off cycle.