Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most popular types of sports nutrition used in bodybuilding to gain lean muscle mass, improve the quality of training and increase strength.
From this article you will learn:
- how to use Creatine to increase the amount of energy during training, thereby improving the quality of training (number of repetitions, weights lifted) and accelerating muscle gain;
- what effect can be obtained from the use of Creatine Monohydrate and how it works;
- how, when and how much Creatine to take per day (before or after training, along with protein, daily allowance);
- Creapure® Creatine - why it is considered the best creatine in the sports nutrition market;
- are there any side effects.
What is Creatine Monohydrate?
Creatine Monohydrate is a natural substance that turns into Creatine Phosphate in the human body. Creatine Phosphate, in turn, is involved in the production of ATP, which provides energy for muscle contraction during exercise. Our body produces creatine on its own, and also receives it from foods such as red meat and fatty fish. However, your own resources may not be enough, and the amount of creatine in foods decreases during cooking.
Creatine Monohydrate is a sports supplement containing pure creatine, taken before/after training and/or in combination with other sports nutrition products (for example, together with whey protein).
How does Creatine Monohydrate work?
To understand the action of Creatine, you need to know what ATP is and how it works. ATP is a readily available source of energy needed for muscle contraction. The muscles themselves contain enough ATP for several contractions. The rest of the energy must come from the ATP stores in the body.
The action of Creatine Monohydrate is to convert it in the human body into Creatine Phosphate, with the help of which ATP is produced, which in turn can be used in training. Due to this, you can lift more weights, do more repetitions. This extra energy is often referred to as "explosive".
What effect can be obtained by taking creatine monohydrate?
- Increasing energy levels during training
- Accelerated set of muscle mass
- The growth of power indicators
- Increasing the volume of training
- Accelerated recovery after training
How to take Creatine Monohydrate?
For most, the norm of Creatine is 3-5 grams per day. When to take on time is not so important. Many people take Creatine in conjunction with other types of sports nutrition (with whey protein, for example). Creatine powder can also be mixed into warm water, fruit juice, or herbal tea (no caffeine!).
Important! Drink creatine freshly mixed with liquid each time. Do not make a Creatine Shake ahead of time or it will lose its effect. The daily rate can also be divided into several doses.
When using Creatine Monohydrate, you need to cycle it. Drink Creatine for 8 weeks in a row and then take a break for 4 weeks.
Side effects
Creatine has no side effects in most cases when taken at recommended doses. If you exceed the norm, use more, then this will not give the best effect. All "extra" Creatine will be removed from the body.
Remember to drink plenty of fluids, as creatine retains water in the muscles (due to this, they appear bulkier). This creates an additional visual effect of muscle growth. Sometimes athletes complain about side effects in the form of cramps when using Creatine. Typically, the cause is dehydration due to lack of water in the diet.
FAQ:
When Creatine first appeared on the sports nutrition market, most manufacturers recommended "loading" for 5-7 days to "saturate" the muscles with Creatine, thereby accelerating the achievement of the desired effect. But these recommendations have not received scientific confirmation. Therefore, today manufacturers suggest to do without loading and take 3-5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate per day.
What is the best creatine?
Creatine Creapure® is the standard today. This brand is made in Germany and most sports nutrition manufacturers use this brand of raw materials for their products. To find out if a particular Creatine Monohydrate powder contains Creapure®, look for Creapure® in the formulation listed on the label.
Does Caffeine Affect Creatine Results?
Large amounts of caffeine (more than 5 mg per 1 kg of body weight) can adversely affect the effect of the use of Creatine (according to studies conducted by Creapure®). However, a small amount (such as 1-2 cups of coffee) does not have a negative effect.
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