Creatine monohydrate can help you build muscle, make youstronger, and get you leaner.
A number of studies have proven that when creatine supplementsare used, together with exercise, significant gains can be madein muscle, strength and endurance. It has also been shown toimprove muscle strength and decrease recovery time following awork out.
Creatine monohydrate works best for activities that requirerapid or intense effort. Activities such as weight lifting tobuild muscle and sprinting are examples of this type ofactivity. If you're a marathon runner, you may not see the sametype of results.
About 93% of all the creatine in your body is stored in themuscles. The reason it is stored in your muscles is that itplays a key role in providing your body with a boost of energyneeded to perform work.
The normal energy cycle of the muscle requires a substancecalled Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP to fuel it. The muscleusually has enough ATP on board to fuel a burst of work lastingabout 6 seconds.
Creatine restores the ATP to a state where it can act as fuelfor the muscle and continue the burst of activity for aboutanother 6-12 seconds. This is how it helps to build muscle.
A good analogy is to think of the muscle as if it were a highperformance engine. ATP is the gas for your engine and creatineis an octane booster that allows you to get better performancefrom your engine.
The most common effects of creatine include bigger muscles andincreased production of muscle tissue.
This translates into more repetitions, more weight lifted and/orthe ability to sprint faster. More work equals more muscle andmore muscle equals increased strength and endurance.
In addition to helping to build muscle, creatine has been shownto decrease muscle soreness and recovery time needed betweenwork outs. Obviously, being sore can be a negative factor whenit comes to working out.
Activities such as jogging or running may not benefit as muchfrom creatine supplementation as weight lifting. The muscleswork slower for these activities and seem to be able to restoreATP at a rate that meets the need.
Creatine occurs naturally and can be produced by the body. It isfound in beef, pork, salmon, cod, herring and tuna.
But it's impractical to eat the amount of food needed to achievethe amount of creatine supplementation you desire. Creatinesupplementation also allows you to know the exact amount ofcreatine you are getting.
The normal dose for creatine is between 5 and 10 grams per day.For the fastest results you can "load" the muscles by takingbetween 15-20 grams of creatine for approximately 5 days.
Once you've loaded the muscles, you can maintain the creatinelevel by taking the normal creatine dose approximately 30-60minutes before a work out.
Because it is excreted through the kidneys, and due to theincreased risk of dehydration, creatine supplements are notrecommended for people with kidney disease.
When you first start taking creatine supplements you may noticean immediate gain of weight of between 2 to 5 pounds.
Creatine causes your muscles to store more water which seems toassist in building more muscle. This is a side effect thatcauses many people to think that creatine is similar to anabolicsteroids. Creatine is an amino acid and does not build muscle inthe body the same way that steroids do.
The results of creatine supplements vary from minor tosignificant depending on the person using them. A number offactors come into play that affects the outcome.
Age, sex, work out intensity and frequency as well as how muchcreatine store you start with all play a part in the results youwill achieve.
If you suffer from any chronic illness or are on prescriptionmedications for your heart, blood pressure or other medicalconditions you should always consult your medical providerbefore taking creatine.
If you're looking to build muscle using only safe, effectiveways, creatine may be the supplement to help you do it.
About the author:Shawn Lebrun is a fitness trainer and natural bodybuilder. Buildmuscle, lose fat, and get the body you've always wanted thisyear by checking out Shawn's informational programs: ShawnLeBrun Fitness programs
