Creatine is the most popular and effective bodybuilding nutritional supplement on the market. Anyone who takes creatine will achieve huge and amazing muscle gains!
Three-quarters of the 1996 summer Atlanta Olympic gold medalists took creatine monohydrate. Why? There is only one reason: it works, and the effect is very good. French scientist CHEVREUL first discovered creatine monohydrate in 1832, but it was not until 1923 that scientists learned that 95% of creatine in the human body is stored in muscle tissue. The first report on the bodybuilding and muscle-building effects of creatine was published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry in 1926. Remember this! Although we have known about creatine for some time, it was the first time it was actually used. The first attempt to increase physical fitness was at the 1993 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
So, what is creatine? Our bodies naturally produce this compound to provide energy to our muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys and then transported to the muscles through the blood. After entering muscle tissue, creatine is converted into creatine phosphate, which is a high-energy metabolite that synthesizes ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the final energy source of muscles.
Unlike steroids or other drugs, creatine is 100% natural and synthetic and is found in many foods, so it will never be banned by any sports organization or international competition committee (unless they ban athletes from eating meat). Many foods, especially herring, salmon, tuna and beef, contain some amount of creatine. However, currently the best source of creatine is still creatine monohydrate because it contains more creatine per gram than other raw materials. When purchasing high-quality creatine monohydrate, the purity should be 99.9% pharmaceutical grade.
2. What functions does it have? Is there any scientific research to support these functions?
Creatine is the ultimate bodybuilding and muscle-building supplement for one reason. It can significantly increase lean body mass in just 2 weeks. It also helps improve physical fitness and increase energy levels during high-intensity exercise. , Accelerate the recovery rate. It’s no wonder there is such a clear difference between athletes who take creatine and those who don’t. Therefore, almost every competitive athlete will use creatine (if he is not already using it). Creatine's ability to increase energy storage comes from its effect on muscle protein synthesis, while it also prevents protein breakdown. This is because creatine has the amazing effect of super-hydrating muscle cells. It increases muscle growth, making muscle fibers larger and stronger.
Many scientific studies have been done to study why and how creatine is so effective. There have been more than 20 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (meaning neither researchers nor subjects knew who was taking what) of creatine in the last five years. They demonstrate that creatine increases energy levels and increases muscle strengthvolume, endurance level and recovery rate. Another unexpected benefit about creatine is that it increases fat burning while increasing lean body mass.
3. Who needs it? What are the symptoms of deficiency?
First of all, anyone who wants to increase energy, build muscle faster and more, and needs more endurance should try supplementing with creatine monohydrate. Then, those who want to get stronger by increasing lean body mass, recovering quickly, and losing a little extra fat should supplement with creatine monohydrate. Finally, those who engage in strenuous physical exercise, are under physical stress and fatigue (such as student exams, etc.) and want to achieve amazing results should supplement creatine monohydrate.
4. What is the dosage? What are the side effects?
Both methods of taking creatine monohydrate can achieve amazing results. The first method is called the stacking method, and it works great for people who have never taken creatine. As the name states, it refers to the accumulation or saturation process of creatine in the muscles involved. Take 20-30 grams of creatine per day for the first 4 days to a week. Take it mixed with a non-acidic juice or boiled water. Grape juice is a good choice and works well. After the accumulation period, take a regular dose of 5-15 grams per day to keep the muscles saturated (no need to exceed this dose). Another method is to use a more gradual method to supplement creatine monohydrate, with no accumulation period during the entire creatine supplementation process, but to supplement 5-15 grams of creatine per day. The effect is better when creatine is taken in combination with high carbohydrates, such as glucose, taken 1 and a half hours before training.
The biggest benefit of creatine is that no studies have found any side effects of taking creatine so far! Not at all! Creatine is completely safe and effective, and creatine has never been proven to have any harmful toxic effects. . However, as with anything, once your muscles are saturated with creatine, we do not recommend increasing your supplement dosage. There is no reason to do so! This means that you will get the best muscle growth by following the recommended dosage. , strength, energy and endurance increase effect!
Creatine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Question: I heard that creatine and caffeine can be taken at the same time, but I recently read an article that caffeine inhibits the absorption of creatine into muscle tissue. Which one is true?
Answer: A controversial study on creatine and caffeine was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 1996. However, if you read that article carefully, you will find that caffeine has an adverse effect on muscles. Creatine absorption has no effect. In 1998, Vankoski et al. conducted a new pharmacokinetic study on caffeine and creatine, both alone and in combination. They report that when creatine is taken alone or in combination with caffeine, "creatine is rapidly and efficiently absorbed, as reflected by plasma concentrations." Because the researchers concludedIn conclusion, creatine is efficiently absorbed even when taken in combination with caffeine, so the results from this article do not seem to indicate that caffeine has a negative effect on muscle absorption of creatine.