Creatine is a popular type of sports supplement that is considered highly sought after by people who want to gain muscle mass. Absolute harmlessness, natural origin and a good level of assimilation - these are the main features of this substance. The essence of creatine, the correct selection of the dosage and the duration of the course, you will learn from the proposed material.
What is this
The composition of creatine is a substance that the human body produces on the basis of animal products that enter it. However, against the background of malnutrition, too high physical exertion and constant stress, 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 in addition.
What does creatine give, and what are the consequences of its prolonged deficiency? During muscular effort, the body needs a supply of energy to produce a certain movement. Since it is needed from the first moment, the body will extract it from the muscles. Before the body is able to use energyfrom more familiar sources (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), he must also transform it into a special form. At its core, it is exactly creatine.
According to experts, with a weight 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.
Composition of creatine
The substance itself is the 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 by themselves, the components that make up creatine perform a huge number of functions beneficial to the body. And being in one combination, they do wonders.
What is the supplement for
If the human body is capable of producing creatine on its own, it's only natural to ask, "Why take it extra?" Although in reality everything is very simple here! This need is due to the lack of an amino acid present in the body. Although the average person who does not exercise too actively, such a supplement is not needed at all. In such a situation, you just need to know what contains such a useful substance, in which products it has the maximum and make sure that they are present in the daily diet. Creatinedoing so will be more than enough for the average person.
But for athletes who spend several hours every day in the gym, they really need additional sources of energy - products that accelerate the recovery of the body after increased stress and muscle formation. And this is where creatine, a natural energy booster, comes in.
Biochemical properties
As a dietary supplement, this amino acid is not broken down in the digestive tract. The substance in its original form penetrates into the bloodstream, and then into muscle cells. And already being in them, creatine is converted into phosphate. In this form, it significantly increases muscle endurance even during prolonged and intense physical exertion.
It's fair to say that creatine works much better with fairly short but vigorous workouts. In other words, for those who take part in marathons, it will prove to be less useful than for cardio enthusiasts 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, since 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.
Useful properties
Supplementing with creatine helps achieve multiple goals at the same time.
Acceleration of exchangeprocesses. Given the fact that creatine is actively involved in metabolism, its increased use can lead to weight loss due to the reduction of body fat. But in the first days of admission, athletes, on the contrary, often note an increase in their mass. This is due to fluid retention in the muscles. Then everything is determined by the training regimen and the compiled menu. As a result, creatine gives a person additional energy, and where exactly he spends it depends only on him. For example, you can go deep into strength training for muscle development or increase the intensity of your cardio workouts. The effect of creatine will be most noticeable in the first few weeks of use
- Increase in 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 eventually lead to the desired set of muscle mass.
- Increase endurance. It is thanks to this effect that creatine is in high demand not only among gym goers, but also relevant for those who prefer cardio exercises and all kinds of martial arts.
Varieties
Creatine is available in two forms: capsules and monohydrate powder. Most professional athletes prefer the latter type of supplement. After all, usually dietary supplements in the form of capsules cost many times more, but their effectiveness,on the contrary, it turns out to be much lower. The main advantage of this type is its ease of use. After all, you can easily take this tool with you anywhere. In addition, 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 by the body much faster. So the most popular type of additive is deservedly considered a powder, which is diluted with a liquid before use. Equally popular among athletes are chewable and effervescent forms of creatine. Among other things, you can even find a protein bar and a chocolate bar with amino acids on the market.
Supplement Features
Most often, dietary supplements are called creatine monohydrate, D-creatine, L-creatine or T-creatine. True, in recent years, manufacturers have begun 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.
That being said, creatine is not the hormone that athletes fear so much. 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 simply a magic pill. However, in fact, like any other supplement, it has certain side effects.
Who should use
Despite the fact that the human body is capable of producing creatine on its own, for thosethose 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 that blocks myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle growth. That is why this supplement is a very important component of sports nutrition for anyone who wants to build muscle mass, making tissues hardy and strong. According to experts, creatine is one of the most effective substances in terms of increasing muscle fibers and the muscles themselves.
Many beginners believe that it is creatine and other types of sports nutrition that will help them become stronger. However, this is actually only indirect.
What does creatine actually do
It must be understood that creatine does not really work like 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 it is advisable to use creatine on the eve of the competition.
Full recovery is an important component of any effective workout. Only after a good rest, the body is able to proceed to the next series of exercises. The faster the athlete's body recovers, the more workouts he is able to perform within a certain time. This is where the benefits of creatine come in.
Negative manifestations
Creatine is considered one of the most researched supplements. Its absolute harmlessness to life and he alth has been confirmed by numerous tests.
However, experts say that the supplement can provoke disturbances in the digestive tract. This side effect is due to a weakened liver.
Besides, creatine can also be poisonous, like any other substance, if you do not follow the correct dosage.
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 kidney failure.
Among other things, it should be borne in mind that creatine should not be taken in parallel with alcoholic beverages. After all, such a dangerous combination can lead to negative consequences and all sorts of disturbances in the functioning of the whole organism.
How to drink creatine correctly
There are two ways to use a dietary supplement.
- Use with loading period. This scheme implies an increased intake of creatine during the first 5-7 days. During this period, you should drink 2-5 grams 4-5 times a day. This technique brings impressive results that can be felt at the very first workout. In addition, this creatine regimen is approved by most well-known fitness instructors and has a huge research base.
- Standard way. By 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 remedy immediately before the planned workout. The third application should occur after exercise, and the last - a few hours before bedtime.
Application features
Like all other amino acids, creatine must be used in cycles. After two months, you should take a break, lasting 3 weeks. During this time, the body will have the opportunity to take a break from the constant overabundance of creatine. Side effects in this case are unlikely to overtake you, since the activity of the body during this period is completely normal. 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 functioning 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 supplementation courses provide an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of training and will in no way affecton the athlete's fitness.
