If you’re looking to build mass and size, taking creatine is one of the very best things you can do. That’s because it will instantly increase water retention in the muscles, making you look more pumped, more of the time.
That’s not the principle role of creatine though, which is rather to help you increase your ability to get the most energy out of your diet.
Creatine allows the body to recycle ADP and AMP into ATP – in simple terms that mean a couple of extra seconds of maximum exertion.
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that naturally occurs in vertebrates, and helps supply energy to muscle cells. It is a natural substance found in some of the foods we eat, largely red meat.
In recent years, creatine has been proven to help bodybuilders in a variety of ways. Since this discovery, creatine has become one of the popular dietary supplements used by bodybuilders and powerlifters.
In the human body, creatine is synthesized mainly in the liver by the use of parts from three different amino acids – arginine, glycine, and methionine.
95% of it is later stored in the skeletal muscles, with the rest in the brain, heart, and testes.
Be sure to discuss the health risks of taking creatine supplements with your doctor, but you should be aware that there are benefits to raising your creatine levels as well.
When you are lifting, ATP (Adenosine 5′-triphosphate) helps your muscles contract.
With each contraction, the amount of ATP in your system decreases until you are maxed out to the point where you can no longer lift. The only way to replenish ATP in your muscles is with creatine.
Creatine enhances your body’s ability to store glycogen.
Muscles use glycogen to fuel the anabolic process. Your body needs adequate glycogen to help your muscles recover after an intense workout. By doing this, your muscles grow bigger as well as faster.
If you aren’t getting enough creatine in your diet, you may want to use a creatine supplement.
Creatine is normally found in red meats, like steak. If you’re a vegetarian, or someone who doesn’t eat a lot of creatine-hearty foods, you may benefit from the use of supplements.
Glycogen (a carbohydrate) is often achieved by what is called carb-loading (like eating lots of pasta). By taking a creatine supplement, you will have to do less of this.
Learn more about how to set up your diet to build muscle and lose fat!
Creatine also increases cardiovascular activity.
When you take creatine supplements, you will most likely notice the effects in your anabolic workout, but it can also positively affect your cardiovascular exercise as well. Since it helps increase the amount of aerobic activity you can do before getting winded, you will be able to exercise longer and more intensely.
Although studies have shown it is generally safe to use, creatine is not for everyone. Unlike a lot of anabolic steroids and other supplements on the market, you should not start using it without first consulting with a doctor. You also want to be sure you are using creatine in the right amounts.
Although the label should give you a general idea on how to use it, to use it most efficiently you should calculate the amount you want to use in accordance with your weight and percentage of body fat. The result of increased creatine in the body is the chemical creatinine, which is normally easily flushed out of the body through the kidneys.
If you have kidney problems, however, increased amounts of creatinine can be harmful to your health. As with any substance, you must use common sense when taking it. If you don’t abuse the use of creatine, it can help you achieve results faster.
Creatine supplement review
I have used a lot of creatine supplement brand in the past. As it is one of the cheapest and most easily available supplements in market you will have a variety of options to choose from.
The most basic and researched form is creatine monohydrate. It will cost you Rs. 350 for 83 servings or 4 Rs per serving.
I have also started experimenting with one more form which is creatine nitrate and yes it is giving me pretty amazing pumps.
You can check it out over here!