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Creatine FAQ
What Is
Creatine and how does it work?
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance that exists in every muscle of your
body. It is a combination of three different amino acids: Glycine, Arginine and
Methionine. Whenever you use your muscles, the chemical (adenosine triphosphate)
ATP is broken down into two simpler chemicals: (adenosine di-phosphate) ADP and
inorganic Phosphate. This process of ATP turning into ADP releases the energy
which gives your muscles power. The problem is that your muscles only contain
enough ATP to last about 15 seconds at maximum exertion. However, with the help
of Creatine and Phosphates the ADP can be converted back into the very useful
ATP. Creatine bonds with a Phosphate group to form Creatine Phosphate. Creatine
Phosphate can then donate a Phosphate molecule to ADP to form ATP. Now you have
more ATP, which means more fuel for your muscles.
Why supplement
with it?
To get four grams of Creatine from food you would need to eat about 2 pounds of
beef per day. Most people ingest about one gram of Creatine per day and the body
makes about one gram of Creatine per day. This is where supplementing comes in.
Creatine monohydrate, which is the most popular form of Creatine, is a white
odourless powder that contains 5 grams of Creatine per teaspoon. Personally I
would rather supplement it then consume that much meat.
The average human muscle contains between 3 ½ to 4 grams of Creatine per
kilogram of muscle. Once it is used up, so are you. You then have to wait a
while before your next set. Now the good news is your body can store 5 grams of
Creatine per kilogram of muscle, so by supplementing with it, you can get an
additional 30% increase in strength in as little as one week.
Who takes
Creatine?
Creatine is taken by almost every sport you can imagine. From tennis to
baseball, athletes are benefiting from it. Bodybuilders from around the world
are also supplementing with it, as it is the most effective sports supplement on
the market.
Can females
take this?
Yes. Creatine can be taken by females and will receive all the benefits in doing
so.
How old do you
have to be?
There isn’t a certain age you have to be to supplement with Creatine but most
companies would say 18 years of age and older simply because they have not
conducted tests on anyone younger. Also, if you haven’t been training
continuously for more than a year, supplementing with Creatine is not necessary
since you should see how your body responds without supplements.
What is the
recommend dosage?
There are two methods of taking Creatine. The first and popular method is called
“the loading phase”. Just as the name implies, it involves loading up or
saturating your muscles with Creatine. During the first four days to a week,
take 20 grams per day. By doing this you can reach the maximum storage of
Creatine in your muscles much quicker. Mix it with something sweet, such as
dextrose. The reason for this is you would want an insulin spike to occur so it
can transport the Creatine to your muscle cells much more efficiently. After
this loading period, take a regular intake of five grams per day to keep your
muscles saturated. The second method is to skip the loading phase and just take
5 grams of Creatine per day.
What are the
results I can expect?
Adding Creatine to your diet can enhance performance and decrease fatigue during
a workout. You can expect to see an increase of strength and muscle mass.
Another benefit of Creatine is its ability to hydrate muscle cells. Creatine
pulls fluid from outside the muscle cell into the cell. While on Creatine, you
should be consuming 3-4 liters of water per day to keep hydrated. This increase
in water retention by the cell also causes more ions such as Nitrogen to be
pulled into the cell, which increases muscle protein synthesis. This increase in
muscle protein synthesis allows athletes to recover from exercise faster and in
turn grow more muscle.
How long does
it take to see results?
Current reports show people can gain up to 10 lbs in as little of 7 days. With
the loading phase you can expect to see results within the 1st to 2nd week and
by skipping the loading phase, results can appear in about a month.
What about
water retention?
Since Creatine draws more water into the muscle cell some of the weight you do
put on is in fact water weight. Don’t fret, the more water you drink the less
you will retain.
What are the
different types of Creatine?
There are three main types of the different forms of Creatine. Below is a brief
description on each.
Creatine
Powder
Powder Creatine is by far the most popular form of Creatine supplements. You mix
the powder up with some juice and drink it down. Some of the main reasons it’s
popular is that it is relatively cheap and easy to make. If you are looking for
the best value, powder is the way to go. In addition, most of the studies were
done using powder so it’s very well tested.
Creatine
Liquid or Serum
Basically it’s Creatine in liquid form. It’s red and tastes like cough
syrup. Companies who say they have made stabilized Creatine in a liquid are
lying to you. Creatine degrades once it is in liquid and will be excreted in
your system. One testing that was done proved that the bottle contained only 15%
of Creatine on the label claim.
Effervescent
Powder Form
This is the stuff that drops into a glass of water and it fizzes up. There have
been some preliminary studies that show that effervescent powder may be an
effective delivery mechanism.
Do I need to
cycle Creatine?
First off, cycling refers to getting off a supplement for a specific period of
time and getting back on it. Back then the general rule was to go on Creatine
for 3 months and get off it for 1 month. People thought that if you continuously
took Creatine your body would not produce it anymore. Recent studies prove that
Creatine does not bind to receptor sites meaning, your body will always produce
it. So the answer is no, you can take Creatine for as long as you like.
When do I take
it?
With Creatine once it’s in your muscle cells it is stored there. Taking it
before a workout or in the morning will not make a difference. After a workout,
your body is depleted of glycogen so it would make sense to consume simple
carbohydrates. Creatine does work better when it is mixed with something sweet,
so by taking Creatine along with dextrose after a workout, you’re killing two
birds with one stone.
Is it safe to
take?
If you stay within the recommended dosage it is safe to take. There have been
hundreds of studies done on Creatine that all show that it is a safe supplement.
There are really very few side effects reported with Creatine use but they
include: upset stomach, muscle cramping, diarrhea and dehydration. Drinking
plenty of water when taking Creatine can minimize most of these side effects.
Any Creatine your body does not use is excreted as a waste product called
creatinine. That is why after the loading phase; do not exceed over 10 grams per
day. Your body will not be able to use most of it and will have to excrete the
excess. Over time this constant excretion of creatinine can put a lot of work on
your kidneys and liver, which can lead to serious problems.
What happens if
I get off?
Once you get off Creatine you won’t notice a dramatic effect right away. It
takes about a month for your Creatine levels to go back to normal. Once your
Creatine level is back to normal you will lose a bit of strength and size. This
may sound bad but the benefits you receive from taking it out weigh the
downfalls.
What brand
should I use?
Many supplement companies manufacture Creatine. They are all the same in terms
of quality. Personally I would purchase it from a reputable company that has
been around a while.
How much does
it cost?
Creatine Powder can be dirt cheap if you know where to look. For example, a
1000-gram container can cost you about 40 dollars and would last about 5 months.
The best way to save money is to buy in bulk.
Where Can I buy
it?
You can purchase Creatine at most health stores.
You can even order it on-line which may save you more money.
by: The Total Package
Feel free to discuss this article here.
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