Supplementing with creatine is a no brainer for anyone but to get the best out of creatine requires a delivery system that maximises transport of creatine into the muscles as well as choosing forms of
creatine which are more easily absorbed by the body.
While capsules are a lot more convenient to consume, especially when you are away from home, they do not contain the amount of pure
creatine which is ideal for effective results.
This creatine contains clinically tested HPLC micronized
creatine which is known for its quick absorption rate.
Some people are non responders to
creatine which as a rule of thumb delivers results for each and every one.
Another eligible content is
the creatine which supports your strength and endurance during a workout while the glutamine along with mineral and vitamin contents support the post-workout recovery.
Not exact matches
Beef also contains a natural form of
creatine,
which aids in the production of adenosine - triphosphate or ATP,
which is another key to producing lean muscle mass.
Ferreira's previous research found that beer marinades effectively reduce levels of another group of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs),
which form when amino acids, sugars, and
creatine in meats react at high temperatures.
Moreover, the proteins of the injured muscle are released in blood,
which allows the wasting to be quantified by measuring the amount of
creatine kinase or myoglobin with just one blood sample.
«The Gatm gene is needed for the synthesis of
creatine, a substance made in the liver that travels to the barrier cells and allows them to utilize energy in an efficient manner,» said Nobel Laureate Dr. Bruce Beutler, Director of UT Southwestern's Center for the Genetics of Host Defense and senior author of the study,
which was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In addition, vegetarians as a group have lower mean muscle
creatine concentrations,
which may affect high - level exercise performance.
It works by assisting in production of vast doses of
creatine phosphate in the body,
which replenishes ATP (a molecule that stores and provides energy to the body).
The best example for this is sled training,
which lacks a lengthening, eccentric muscle motion that's mainly responsible for tissue damage, thereby resulting with lower
creatine kinase (the key marker of muscle damage) levels than traditional weight training.
Strength athletes also use up
creatine phosphate,
which is the form of
creatine that will help you create ATP to be used in the muscle.
Pretty unsurprisingly, this study found that
creatine improves carbohydrate absorption and can positively influence the process of nutrient partitioning,
which essentially means that
creatine helps deliver the carbs we consume into the muscles where they are to be used for fuel and tissue recovery, instead of storing them for later.
During exercise,
creatine plays a fundamental role in energy production by being a fuel source for adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
which is an energy system used for explosive muscle contractions.
Herring too has a high content of omega - 3 acids, and it also contains one of the highest amounts of
creatine,
which is the most popular supplement for boosting muscle growth and strength, of any food source from either land or sea.
This then gives the body a «sponge - like» quality
which means it can absorb all nutrients (like the 5g of
creatine in the study) far more efficiently compared to before training.
Depending on your budget, you can also buy glutamine and
creatine,
which are quite cheap.
Add 10 grams of
creatine a day,
which not only increases the volume of the muscle cells, but also improves energy processes.
Creatine has been shown to be one of the most effective supplements when it comes to building muscle strength and size because it boosts ATP production
which is the cells» main energy source and stimulates protein synthesis.
The study produced results
which were very similar to the previous study where participants that took
creatine right after exercising had a much bigger increase in muscle tissue in comparison to those who were exercising and taking
creatine beforehand, or those in the control group that were exercising but weren't using any
creatine.
Creatine supplementation improves the rate at
which energy can be provided during intense workouts, but does not increase the maximum energy in non-fatigued state.
What's more, it has become a popular notion that taking
creatine monohydrate will force your body to hold too much water
which will give you a «bloated» look.
The study produced an interesting result in
which researchers noticed an increased gain in muscle tissue and strength in the participants» group
which took
creatine immediately after exercising in comparison to the second group
which took
creatine immediately before exercising.
The water weight that
creatine keeps is intramuscular,
which means it's located in the space between your muscle fibers.
Creatine is an entire industry: A few prisons in New York State actually sell the stuff, most notably Eastern Correctional Facility,
which hosts a body - building competition that is covered by media.
Several studies have confirmed that a dose of 5 grams of
creatine taken every day for 12 weeks straight, both pre and after workout has led to a drastic increase in muscle tissue in comparison to the second group of subjects
which took
creatine only in the morning and in the evening, without using it relatively close to the time before starting training or after finishing.
There are a bunch of different combinations out there, but I'd suggest something
which is a mix of high quality protein,
creatine and amino acids.
The loading phase has you taking 20 grams of
creatine for 5 days after
which you proceed to the maintenance phase of 5 grams per day.
That's why the parallel increase of
creatine levels in the blood, as well as blood flow to the muscles, increase the transport of blood filled with
creatine to the trained muscles,
which increases the uptake of
creatine in said muscles and ultimately stimulating bigger muscle mass gains.
Another study
which wanted to eliminate this particular limitation examined the impact that 8 grams of
creatine had on muscle size and strength taken immediately after or before workout sessions, while at the same time adding a control group
which took a placebo lacking
creatine.
Even though both of the aforementioned studies pose a strong indication that
creatine dose timing is important, neither one of them had a control group that participated in lifting weights while at the same time taking a placebo dose
which logically did not have
creatine monohydrate.
The best energy supplement would be
creatine monohydrate
which will be supplying energy to your muscles and assisting in building lean muscle.
Other osmolytes, i.e. substances that affect cell pressure, are
creatine, betaine, taurine, glutamine and glycine, all of
which strongly support the muscle - building process.
Creatine's ability to increase muscular hypertrophy is derived largely from the fact that it is able to trigger creation of new muscle cells, increase protein synthesis in the muscles and decrease the production of myostatin
which depletes muscle tissue, while at the same time increase the release of particular hormones that promote muscle building like IGF - 1 (Insulin Growth - like Factor) and testosterone.
However, this study also produced different results since it didn't notice any significant reduction of strength between consuming
creatine before and after exercising,
which indicates that timing
creatine doses only has an influence on muscle hypertrophy while taking
creatine before and after exercising has the same effect on increasing strength.
Design your training around a diet plan
which includes meals with lots of protein and complex carbohydrates 60 - 90 minutes before your workout, a protein shake filled with BCAAs you can drink during your workout and a whey protein shake you can take immediately post-workout, with some
creatine, glucose, and glutamine added.
In addition,
creatine buffers the production of lactic acid and can raise the levels of the male sex hormone testosterone,
which also accelerates the growth of muscle mass.
Excess
creatine that hasn't been utilized by the muscles is turned into a waste product called creatinine, for
which the kidneys have to work overtime in order to remove it.
In another study, rugby player were given 20 grams of
creatine monohydrate for one week
which resulted in 55 % increase of DHT levels.
Consuming
creatine increases the supply of the precursor to ATP, a high - energy molecule
which actually gives you the energy to go through each rep you perform.
Lean beef or bison comes highly recommended when attempting to bulk your body, because it's loaded with
creatine and stearic acid,
which is good saturated fat that has no influence over your cholesterol level.
This can be also achieved by consuming
creatine,
which performs a similar function as the glycogen in terms of hydrating the muscle cell.
Always choose a product
which has fast absorbing
creatine in it, and it would be helpful if it contained L - Citrulline
which increases the blood flow or L - Arginine
which will cause a much bigger pump in your muscles.
Eating animal foods exclusively pretty much guarantees you'll meet your daily protein needs, and relying on red meat,
which is rich in
creatine naturally, leaves little reason for further supplementation.
Though there are several forms in
which creatine supplements are available, powder and capsules are the most popular options.
Creatine itself won't make you «huge», it won't cause cramps, it won't cause water retention... there is simply no mechanism by
which it can do ANY of these things, so don't believe the hype.
(For example, there are theories about
creatine supplementation leading to increased cell volume,
which would indicate that the supplementation is stimulating other anabolic processes, but this is conjecture at this point.)
One study (
which wasn't peer - reviewed) showed that after consuming it, subjects had more
creatine in their plasma than they did when they consumed standard
creatine monohydrate.
But that might mean less
creatine went to the muscles,
which would mean hydrochloride is less effective.