Creatine is a popular form of sports supplement that is considered to be very popular among people who want to gain muscle mass. Absolute harmlessness, natural origin and a good level of assimilation are the main features of this substance. You will learn the essence of creatine, the correct selection of dosage and duration of the course from the proposed material.
What it is
The composition of creatine is a substance that the human body produces on the basis of products of animal origin that enter it. However, against the background of malnutrition, too high physical exertion and constant stresses, the resulting component becomes insufficient. That is why professional athletes and people who adhere to a low-calorie menu are advised to take this substance additionally.
What gives creatine, and what are the consequences of its prolonged deficiency? During muscular effort, the body needs a supply of energy to produce a specific movement. Since it is necessary from the very first moment, the body will extract it from the muscles. Before the body gets the opportunity to use energy from more familiar sources (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), it must also transform it into a special form. At its core, it is creatine.
According to experts, with a mass of 70 kg and a normal load, the body needs about 2 g of this substance every day. This requires eating about two kilograms of red meat. Of course, it is much easier to obtain such a significant substance through special additives.
Creatine Composition
The substance itself is a product of the interaction of several amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine. The composition of creatine partially includes each of them.
For those who seek to acquire muscle mass, such a tool will be a real find. Even the components that make up creatine per se perform a huge amount of functions that are beneficial to the body. And being in one combination, they do wonders at all.
What is the supplement for?
If the human body is capable of producing creatine on its own, it’s quite logical to ask: “Why drink it extra?” Although in fact, everything is very simple here! This need is due to the lack of amino acids in the body. Although the average person who does not play sports is too active, such an addition is not needed at all. In such a situation, you just need to know what such a useful substance is in, in which foods its maximum and make sure that they are present in daily nutrition. Creatine acting in this way will be more than enough for the average person.
But for athletes who spend several hours every day in the gym, additional energy sources are really needed - products that accelerate the recovery of the body after increased stress and muscle formation. And here creatine - a natural energy drink comes to the rescue.
Biochemical properties
As a dietary supplement, this amino acid does not break down in the digestive tract. The substance in its original form penetrates the bloodstream, and then into muscle cells. And already in them, creatine is converted to phosphate. In this form, it significantly increases muscle endurance even with prolonged and intense physical exertion.
It is fair to say that creatine performs much better with fairly short but active workouts. In other words, for those who take part in marathons, it will turn out to be less useful than for fans of cardio exercises or bodybuilders. This feature of the effect of creatine is explained by the biochemical structure of the substance: phosphate is not able to be contained in the cell for a long time, because it is quickly consumed by the body.
By the way, he exhausts the amino acid produced on his own in just a few seconds. But it takes minutes to recover.
Beneficial features
The additional use of creatine helps to achieve several goals at the same time.
- Acceleration of metabolic processes. Given the fact that creatine is actively involved in metabolism, its increased use can lead to weight loss due to a decrease in body fat. But in the first days of admission, athletes, on the contrary, often notice an increase in their mass. This is due to fluid retention in the muscles. Then everything is determined by the training mode and the compiled menu. As a result, creatine gives a person additional energy, and where exactly he spends it, already depends only on himself. For example, you can closely engage in strength exercises for muscle development or increase the intensity of cardio workouts. The effect of creatine will be maximally noticeable in the first few weeks of use.
- Strengthening the power level. Even in the first lessons, you will feel that you can easily supplement your usual workout with a few more repetitions of each exercise. The achieved effect will gradually accumulate and over time will lead to the desired set of muscle mass.
- Increased Stamina. Thanks to this effect, creatine is in great demand not only among visitors to the gym, but is also relevant for those who prefer cardio exercises and all kinds of martial arts.
Varieties
Creatine can be purchased in two forms: capsules and monohydrate powder. Most professional athletes prefer the latest variety of supplements. After all, usually dietary supplements in the form of capsules cost several times more, but their effectiveness, on the contrary, is much lower. The main advantage of this type is the convenience of its use. After all, such a tool can easily be taken with you anywhere. Moreover, it does not need to be diluted in water.
According to numerous scientific studies, creatine in liquid form is very unstable, but it is in this form that it is absorbed much faster by the body. So the most popular variety of the additive is deservedly considered a powder that is diluted with liquid before use. Chewing and effervescent forms of creatine are no less popular among athletes. Among other things, you can even find a protein and chocolate bar with amino acids on the market.
Additive Features
Most often, dietary supplement is called creatine monohydrate, D-creatine, L-creatine or T-creatine. However, in recent years, manufacturers began to produce improved nutritional supplements that combine various compounds with a wide range of useful properties. Often they include fish oil, riboxin, nitrogen, alkali, ribose.
At the same time, it is worth saying that creatine is not a hormone, which athletes are so afraid of. Its effect does not provoke the development of failures in the body and the work of individual organs. To many, creatine may seem like a real panacea and just a magic pill. However, in fact, he, like any other supplement, has certain side effects.
Who should use
Despite the fact that the human body is capable of producing creatine on its own, for those who are professionally involved in sports, these doses are almost always not enough. Amino acids in the form of a dietary supplement not only saturate the body with additional energy, but also contribute to the formation of muscle relief.
Creatine is an anabolic blocking myostatin - a protein that suppresses muscle growth. That is why this supplement is a very important component of sports nutrition for everyone who wants to build muscle by making tissues hardy and strong. According to experts, creatine is one of the most effective substances in the matter of increasing muscle fibers and muscle itself.
Many beginners believe that it is creatine and other types of sports nutrition that will help them become stronger. However, in reality it is only indirect.
What creatine actually gives
It must be understood that creatine does not really act on the principle of a magic wand and does not make a person faster or stronger. This supplement makes it possible to engage more actively and at the same time accelerate the process of recovery of the body and the spent energy reserve. That is why creatine is advisable to use on the eve of the competition.
Full recovery is an important component of any effective workout. Only having a good rest, the body is able to proceed to the next series of exercises. The faster the athlete’s body is restored, the more training he is able to perform within a certain time. This is where the benefits of creatine are manifested.
Negative manifestations
Creatine is considered one of the most researched supplements. Its absolute harmlessness to life and health is confirmed through numerous trials.
However, experts say that the supplement can provoke disturbances in the digestive tract. This side effect is due to weakened liver activity.
In addition, creatine can also be poisoned, like any other substance, if the correct dosage is not observed.
The systematic use of dietary supplements in large quantities gradually leads to increased fragility and weakening of bone tissue.
In some situations, against the background of regular overdoses, a person even developed renal failure.
Among other things, it should be borne in mind that creatine can not be taken in parallel with alcohol. After all, such a dangerous combination can lead to negative consequences and all sorts of violations in the work of the whole organism.
How to drink creatine
There are two ways to use the food supplement.
- Use with a loading period. This scheme involves increased intake of creatine during the first 5-7 days. During this period, you should drink 2-5 grams 4-5 times during the day. This technique brings impressive results that can be felt at the very first training. In addition, this is precisely the scheme for the use of creatine approved by most well-known fitness instructors and has a huge research base.
- The standard way. Skipping the loading period, you can immediately proceed to the recommended dose: 2-5 grams during the day. In this case, the effect and benefits of creatine will be visible no earlier than a month after the start of use.
During the loading period, the first use of the supplement should be in the morning. If you purchased creatine in powder form, it should be diluted in plain water. The second time you should drink the drug immediately before the planned training. The third application should occur after the load, and the last - a few hours before bedtime.
Application features
Like all other amino acids, creatine must be used in courses. After two months, a break of 3 weeks should be arranged. During this time, the body will have the opportunity to take a break from the constant excess of creatine. Side effects in this case are unlikely to overtake you, since the activity of the body during this period is fully normalized. Although this dietary supplement is considered quite safe, and some athletes take it all year round, without any breaks. But still, to maintain the effectiveness of creatine and the full activity of the body, it is recommended to arrange such a rest.
The thing is that gradually the muscles get used to the systematic intake of an auxiliary portion of amino acids and simply stop responding to it. Short-term intervals between courses of supplement intake make it possible to increase the effectiveness of training and will in no way affect the athlete's physical condition.