Creatine supplies energy to your muscles and has many fans among athletes. Creatine is one of the best bodybuilding supplements for people who want to exercise at high intensity. Increasing strength and improving sports performance is one of the significant benefits of creatine supplementation. But the only consumers of creatine supplements are not only athletes and bodybuilders. Creatine powder can even be used to improve brain function. To learn more and know what creatine supplement is, stay with us until the end of this article.
What we read in this article
What is a creatine supplement?
If you are asking what creatine supplement is, we must say that the best supplement that athletes can use to increase their muscle strength and thus improve their sports performance is creatine supplement. The results of hundreds of scientific studies show that creatine increases muscle mass, strength and athletic performance.
It is interesting to know that creatine is a substance that is naturally found in muscle cells. Creatine helps the body’s muscles to generate energy while lifting heavy objects or performing high-intensity exercises. In response to the question of what is creatine, it can be said that creatine is a type of amino acid that is the building block of proteins in the human body.
Proteins play a role in building muscles and bones as well as repairing tissues. Creatine is a natural source of energy that helps your skeletal muscles contract. About 1 to 2 grams of creatine per day is supplied to your body through your diet. Foods containing protein are a good source of creatine. Half of the creatine in the body is also produced naturally in the liver, kidneys and pancreas.
What are the benefits of creatine supplements?
Now that you know what creatine is, the question arises, what are the benefits of creatine supplements and why is it so popular? Athletes use creatine powder to gain muscle, increase strength, and improve athletic performance. The human body can produce creatine from the amino acids glycine and arginine. But consuming more creatine through eating supplements can be very effective in improving muscle performance. Creatine supplements are available in pharmacies in several forms:
- Powder, tablets, capsules and in liquid form
How creatine works in the body
What are the effects of creatine in the body? Creatine supplementation can be very effective in high-intensity training because it increases phosphocreatine reserves in muscles. Then, at this stage, the body can use it to produce more energy to perform high-intensity exercises. Creatine also helps build muscle in the following ways:
- It provides the possibility of doing more exercises and as a result more muscles are worked on.
- It plays a role in repairing muscles and helping to grow new muscles.
- It helps to increase anabolic hormones.
- Creatine increases the water content in muscle cells and increases cell volume, which may contribute to muscle growth.
- Helps maintain muscle mass by reducing muscle breakdown.
- Creatine supplementation can reduce the level of myostatin (a type of protein) and increase muscle growth potential.
Creatine supplements also increase phosphocreatine stores in the brain and help reduce the symptoms of neurological diseases along with improving brain health.
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The effect of creatine on muscle growth
We explained to you what creatine supplement is. Creatine has an effect on muscle growth and improves muscle building. The results of a 2019 study showed that creatine, with or without resistance training, has the ability to improve muscle mass and muscle strength in older adults.
- If creatine supplement is consumed along with exercise, muscle fiber growth will be 2 to 3 times higher than when this supplement is not used along with exercise.
According to some reliable scientific sources, creatine is the most effective supplement for increasing muscle strength and volume.
The effect of creatine supplementation on strength and sports performance
What are the other benefits of creatine supplementation? Increasing muscle strength and improving sports performance. Studies show that creatine can:
- Increase muscle strength and endurance in young people who do resistance training.
- Increase the energy of athletes (cyclists).
- Improve athletic performance and speed in soccer players.
- Increase the strength of swimmers in butterfly and breaststroke swimming.
All of these benefits that creatine supplementation provides to the body are due to the increased capacity of the body to produce ATP. ATP is normally depleted after no more than 10 seconds of high-intensity exercise. But since creatine supplements help increase ATP production, optimal athletic performance will still be maintained for a few seconds. ATP or adenosine triphosphate is actually the fuel needed for muscle contraction.
How to use creatine for bodybuilding
Many athletes start their creatine intake with a loading phase so that the creatine stores in the body increase quickly. In the following, we will explain how to use this supplement in different periods:
How to use creatine in the loading phase
During the loading phase with creatine, creatine powder or tablets should be used 20 grams per day for 5 to 7 days. This amount of creatine should be used in 4 servings of 5 grams. It is recommended to consume one serving on an empty stomach, one serving 2 hours before training, one serving half an hour after training and one serving before sleeping.
Be careful that eating a high carbohydrate or protein meal may help the body absorb creatine as well as possible.
How to use creatine supplement during the maintenance period
After completing the loading period, 3 to 5 grams of creatine should be consumed daily to maintain its level well in the muscles. If an athlete chooses not to do a loading phase, they can start taking 3-5 grams of creatine right away, but it will take longer to see results.
- Since creatine draws water into muscle cells, it is recommended to consume it with 1 glass of water and keep yourself hydrated throughout the day by consuming enough water.
How to take creatine tablets
Creatine supplement is usually produced in powder form, but some companies have also produced this supplement in tablet or capsule form. Depending on the amount of creatine in the pill or capsule, it is usually recommended to take it 4 to 5 times a day. However, you must read the instructions for taking the desired supplement from the product’s packaging and follow it to achieve the desired result.
How to take creatine for competitions
In order to increase muscle strength, improve performance in the competition and prevent premature fatigue, many athletes take Creatine supplements before the competition. In this case, 2 to 5 grams of creatine should be consumed about 2 hours before the competition.
But what are the side effects of creatine supplements? Is creatine a safe supplement?
What are the side effects of creatine supplements?
Fortunately, Creatine is one of the sports supplements that have been studied so far, and we can almost certainly talk about it. There is no reliable evidence in studies to show that creatine is dangerous and unsafe for healthy people who use it for a certain period of time.
People who have liver and kidney problems should consult a doctor before taking this supplement, but this supplement does not cause liver and kidney disorders for normal people.
Some people consider dehydration and muscle cramps among the side effects of creatine supplements for bodybuilders, but research does not confirm this. A 2009 study linked creatine supplementation to an increase in a hormone called DHT, which is implicated in hair loss, but this is not supported by research. Creatine is a safe supplement, but in rare cases it may be associated with the following side effects:
- Weight gain due to water retention
- dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- Excessive sweating
If you feel these side effects after taking creatine powder, consult your doctor or sports trainer and reduce your dosage.
Different types of creatine supplements
The most common type of creatine supplement is creatine monohydrate. What is creatine monohydrate? The most popular type of creatine supplement is obtained by binding a water molecule to creatine. This supplement increases muscle performance during short-term, high-intensity resistance training, such as weightlifting, sprinting, and cycling.
Other forms of creatine do not seem to have this benefit. Other types of Creatine supplements that are less popular include:
- Creatine Ethyl Ester
- Creatine Hydrochloride or Creatine HCL
- Creatine buffer
- Liquid creatine
- Creatine magnesium chelate
What are the other benefits of creatine supplementation?
Just like muscles, the brain stores phosphocreatine and needs a lot of ATP to function optimally. If you are wondering what are the properties of creatine supplements, we must mention the following:
- Helping to treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and epilepsy
- Help with treatment Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Improve short-term memory
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Help to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Support heart health
- Reducing injuries related to heart attack
More research is needed to prove some of these properties.
Drug interactions of creatine supplements
Creatine monohydrate, which is one of the most popular types of creatine supplements, may interact with the following medications:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen
- Cyclosporine, gentamicin, tobramycin
- Medicines that affect blood sugar levels.
Creatine supplements are prohibited for people under 18 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and people with certain diseases such as cancer or heart disease. In general, before starting to take this supplement, give your doctor a list of all the medications you are taking. Also, if you have a specific disease, inform your doctor to prevent drug interactions.
Introducing the best creatine supplements
In the following, we will introduce some of the best creatine supplements to you:
Armstrong creatine monohydrate powder
The raw materials of this supplement are imported from Germany and have a unique quality. In order to build muscle, increase energy and muscle strength, improve recovery after heavy exercise and shape muscles, you can use Armstrong’s creatine monohydrate powder. Mix 5 grams of Armstrong’s creatine monohydrate daily with 250 ml of water or juice and then drink it.
Apovital 3000 creatine powder
As the best creatine supplement, you can go for Apovital 3000 creatine powder. This powder helps to increase the strength and endurance of the muscles and provides more energy for the muscles. In total, you can have 60 servings with this supplement. Adults should dissolve 3.5 grams of this product in 300 ml of water and drink daily.
Pegah Ultra Power Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Pegah Ultra Power Creatine Monohydrate powder works great for increasing muscle strength and improving sports performance. This supplement contains vitamin C and improves the function of the body’s immune system. For the first 5 days, 4 servings a day and then 1 serving a day, mix and consume a 5 gram scoop with a glass of water each time to see the effects of using it.
Stella Nutrition creatine monohydrate powder
Another product we can recommend to help increase muscle volume and strength is Stella Nutrition’s Creatine Monohydrate powder. This powder restores the body’s glycogen reserves and improves muscle growth. Mix 5 grams of this creatine powder with 150 ml of water or your favorite drink and eat it 1 time before and 1 time after training.
Blade Sport Creatine Powder
Increasing endurance, stimulating the growth of new muscles, strengthening muscle strength and power are some of the benefits of using Creatine powder. After the loading phase, take 1 scoop of this supplement (equivalent to 5 grams) with meals or immediately after training. For every 5 grams of powder, 400 ml of water or other liquids such as milk or juice are recommended.
A final word on creatine
Did you know what creatine supplement is? We also explained to you about the properties and side effects of creatine supplements. You can order and get the best Creatine supplements right now from Positive Green online pharmacy. Buying bodybuilding creatine will significantly increase your physical strength. Ask us your specialized questions in the comments so that we can be answered by the best sports experts.