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The Greatness Of Creatine

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When going into a pharmacy or department store, you are bombarded with a selection of muscle building supplements to choose from, all promising astounding results in the shortest time possible.

Before going out and falling for all these extravagant promises, you must most certainly do your research. After all, you want to be fully aware of what it is you are putting into your body. Supplements have come and gone but one supplement has stood the test of time: creatine.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is one of the most studied and widely used supplements of today. Surveys have indicated that around 40% of all athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and athletes from about 20 different NCAA sports reportedly use creatine.

Creatine is an amino acid compound that supplies energy to your muscles. Your body produces creatine in your liver, pancreas, and kidneys, which is then transported through your bloodstream to your muscles. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine, creatine phosphate. This high – powered metabolite is used to regenerate the muscles’ ultimate energy source, ATP. When working out, your ATP levels drop rapidly and this is where creating comes in. Creating is responsible for restoring the ATP levels.

Creatine is also found in foods such as beef, salmon, pork, tuna, and cranberries. Herring is also exceptionally rich in creatine.

Research has shown that creatine yields the best results in high-impact, high – intensity training. It is used to fuel energy in the muscles, mostly for high – intensity, short-duration exercises such as lifting weights, sprinting, or any other sport that requires short bursts of effort. It is also said to help you work out for longer and harder, and allow your body to recover faster.

It has been shown that creatine, when used for resistance training, can increase total body and lean body mass. Of the 300 studies which have investigated creatine for its ability to enhance athletic performance, around 70 percent had statistically significant gains.

Research has also indicated that creatine may also reduce lactic acid and energy waste products which can cause muscle fatigue.

Creatine is typically bought in a flavored powdered form and mixed with liquid. This increases your body’s ability to produce energy rapidly, as opposed to pill form.

Side Effects

Creatine draws water from the rest of your body so be sure to drinks lots of water to avoid dehydration.  Many people who use creatine gain weight. This is because creating causes water retention in the muscles. Overall though, creatine is a safe and well research muscle building supplement.