WHAT is CREATINE? ITS BENEFITS AND HARMS
1. What is creatine?
1.1. Benefits of creatine
1.2. side effects of creatine
1.3. Do you need a creatine supplement?
1.4. creatine doses
Whether you know what creatine is or not, you must have heard about it before by bodybuilders and fitness players.
Even when your diet is excellent and your exercise is right for you, you often feel tired, stressed and unable to develop.
This is normal and happens to all trainees, after all we share the same vital organs and their functions.
Here comes the role of creatine in increasing energy and improving physical performance, it is different from energy stimulants that contain caffeine, but is much more important and more beneficial.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring muscle chemical that provides energy for heavy repetitions and high-intensity exercise.
About 95% of the creatine in your body is found in the muscles as phosphocreatine, and the remaining 5% is found in the brain, kidneys and liver.
When you consume your daily requirement of creatine, your muscles are filled with phosphocreatine, which works to produce ATP molecules; It is the primary fuel for your body. More ATP simply means more energy.
There are many factors that affect your creatine supply, including how much meat you eat, exercise, how much muscle you have, and levels of hormones like testosterone and IGF-1 .
Benefits of creatine
A huge statistical study analyzed dozens of studies on creatine , and nominated creatine as the most beneficial nutritional supplement with real results.
Increase strength and improve athletic performance
The body relies on glucose as a primary energy source to carry out its daily activities, and this is totally beneficial in long-term activities such as cardio .
But in short-term activities such as resistance training, glucose will not be the ideal source of energy because it takes some time to be converted into the energy unit ATP, unlike creatine, which turns into energy immediately.
Creatine helps raise strength and improve your ability to handle heavy weights, and withstand a higher training volume.
In a study conducted in the Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of Bloomsburg, USA , it was found that consuming creatine increased strength by 8%, performance in weightlifting by 14% and one-rep max in chest press by 43%.
These noticeable improvements are primarily caused by an increase in your body's ability to produce ATP.
Increase muscle mass
In principle, the size of human muscles increases when exposed to different physical pressures, as the body adapts to the new pressure by building more muscle tissue to resist the pressure.
When you consume creatine, you increase your strength significantly, as I showed you in the previous paragraph. This strength helps you lift larger weights and thus recruit more muscle fibers, which ultimately leads your body to build more muscle in order to adapt to the new training volume.
A 12-week study on weightlifters confirmed that creatine consumption increased muscle size 2-3 times.
Other benefits of creatine
- Storing water in the muscles and making them more healthy and resistant to cramps and injuries.
- Improve cognitive performance and enhance memory.
- Improving muscle performance and quality of life in the elderly.
- Reduce blood sugar.
It is common among trainees that they cut creatine during drying periods because they believe that it stores water under the skin, and this is a statement that has no scientific basis.
side effects of creatine
Creatine is one of the most scientifically researched nutritional supplements. Studies lasting up to four years have not found any negative effects from consuming it.
There is no evidence that creatine harms the liver and kidneys in healthy people who take normal doses.
However, those with liver or kidney problems should consult a doctor before taking it.
Do you need a creatine supplement?
To get 5 grams of creatine per day, you would need to eat 1 kilogram of meat per day, which is completely unlikely.
Not only is it hard to get into our diets, but our natural stores of creatine are quickly depleted during exercise, leading to fatigue. That's why taking a creatine supplement makes a real difference.
creatine doses
Many adopt the loading method to quickly fill up their creatine stores, by taking 20 grams in 5 divided doses per day for 5-7 days.
After the loading period, 3 to 5 grams are taken daily to maintain muscle creatine levels.
If you choose not to do the loading phase, you can simply consume 3-5 grams per day. But it may take about 3 to 4 weeks for your body's stores of creatine to fill.
Since there is no benefit in cycling your creatine — periods of intake followed by breaks — you can stick to this dose for a long time.
Taking creatine with a meal rich in carbohydrates and proteins may improve intestinal absorption.
Since creatine draws water into your muscle cells, it is recommended to stay well hydrated throughout the day by drinking plenty of water.
a summary
Creatine is the most scientifically and practically proven nutritional supplement.
One of the cheapest, most effective and safest supplements that you can invest your money in and be confident of its results.