Modern sport is hard to imagine without the use of special nutritional supplements, the action of which is aimed at replenishing the necessary vitamins and minerals in the body. During a period of intense training, it is almost impossible to get enough energy even from a balanced diet, help is required. Creatine is one of the most popular endurance building supplements for professional athletes and amateurs.
What is creatine?
The human body constantly produces amino acids, but in small quantities. Creatine is a natural compound of arginine, glycine and methionine, which are produced in the pancreas, adrenal glands and liver. These amino acids are considered vital and help keep the athlete's body in good shape.
The effect of creatine on the body:
- improves and accelerates tissue regeneration;
- improves spermatogenesis in men;
- takes a direct part in the formation of bone tissue;
- contributes to the developmentgrowth hormone;
- blocks catabolic processes after intense exercise.
Creatine is used as a dietary supplement, which is considered optimal for stimulating protein metabolism in the body. An important question remains, is it possible to dry creatine? Does it contribute to the maintenance of the athlete's body during this difficult period. The main aspects will be discussed below.
Types of Creatine
There are several of the most popular types of creatine:
- Monohydrate. Perhaps this variety is the most popular. It is characterized by rapid absorption, but can cause side effects in the form of diarrhea, as it is taken on an empty stomach. From the walls of the intestine, the drug enters the bloodstream, gradually passing into the muscles.
- Creatine phosphate. It is generally accepted that this variety is of higher quality, and the course of its administration is simpler and easier to tolerate. Unlike monohydrate, this product does not cause water retention in the athlete's body.
In today's market, you can find many more types of creatine, which will differ in price and composition. But, most likely, this is more of a publicity stunt than an improved nutritional supplement formula. The composition of creatine can be supplemented with various acids of organic origin.
The dietary supplement is available in powder and capsule form. The powder must be dissolved in a liquid and consumed as a cocktail, following the recommended dosage. Capsules are more convenient to use, but at a much higher price, which cancause a choice not in their favor.
Pros and cons of supplements
In the sports world, it is generally accepted that creatine has many advantages and the possible disadvantages are negligible. Among the main disadvantages are:
- abuse of the drug leads to weakening of bone tissue;
- exceeding the dosage can lead to impaired kidney function;
- water retention in the body (after stopping the course of taking water is excreted quite quickly);
- sometimes there is an increase in the number of acne, as well as disruptions in the normal process of digestion.
However, as practice shows, the listed factors do not appear in everyone and are rather an exception to the rule.
Pros of Creatine:
- The dietary supplement is suitable for use when gaining mass, it is also acceptable to take creatine for drying.
- Increases the endurance of the athlete's muscular frame before heavy loads.
- Faster build-up of muscle fibers occurs.
- Helps reduce muscle recovery time after intense exercise.
To get the desired result, it is important to follow the recommended dosage, this rule is true for creatine when losing weight and drying. The right course will help you choose a personal trainer, as well as the scheme of the training itself. Water retention in the muscles plays a role if a person is preparing for competitions and a clear muscle relief is needed. Otherwise, this aspect is insignificant.
Featurestaking creatine on cutting
If an athlete is faced with the goal of getting rid of the accumulated fat layer, then creatine will be indispensable in this matter. Among beginner athletes, doubts often arise whether it is worth taking creatine during cutting, whether such an approach will be effective.
The fluid that accumulates in the muscles under the influence of a nutritional supplement prevents you from seeing the desired relief, but it is excreted from the body at the end of the creatine intake.
Among the reasons why cutting creatine is acceptable are the following:
- Enhancing Endurance: Allows you to train harder and burn more calories.
- Makes it possible to increase the duration of the workout, as it helps the body recover faster.
- Allows the body to build muscle mass without additional fat.
An equally important advantage of this sports supplement is that it can be taken simultaneously with protein, fat burners or other amino acid complexes. Sports nutrition experts recommend eliminating caffeine from the diet, which may not be combined with creatine.
Studies have shown that taking creatine before exercise is ineffective, because during intense physical activity the body does not absorb amino acids, and removes excess fluid from the body. It is considered optimal to take the supplement after training in combination with the use of fast carbohydrates, which will contribute to better absorption.
Creatine dosage
Correctly matcheddosage will achieve optimal results, without side effects and complications. How to take creatine on drying, a personal trainer who knows all the features of the body and the training plan will tell you.
The optimal dosage is considered to be 5 grams of creatine per day. It has been proven that increasing the dose will not change the final result. The body does not absorb more amino acids at a time.
If relief is important for an athlete, then it is recommended to stop taking creatine for drying two weeks before it ends. This will allow the fluid to exit the body and show the result.
There are several schemes for taking creatine on drying:
- The daily rate is divided into three doses of 1.5 grams, which are timed to meals. The remaining 0.5 grams are drunk on an empty stomach, you can before bedtime.
- 5 grams of creatine to drink immediately after an intense workout. On non-workout days, take the supplement on an empty stomach.
It is believed that this approach allows the body to absorb the maximum amount of the substance.
Restrictions on use
Studies have shown that taking creatine is safe for humans. Its composition is completely natural, while the body independently produces the amino acids that are contained in the dietary supplement.
