The Scoop on Creatine
Ok, we all know that a large percentage of bodybuilding and fitness supplements in the market do a whole lot of nothing. Well, creatine is NOT one such supplement. In fact, it is one of the most well researched sports nutrition supplements in the world!
So, what is creatine? It is a molecule produced in the body (primarily by the liver, kidneys and pancreas) from amino acids that stores energy in the form of phosphocreatine are used to convert ADP (adenosine diphosphate) to ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is one of the primary building blocks of energy for the body.
Alright…but what does all that nerd talk mean for us bodybuilders, powerlifters, athletes and all around meatheads? According to a study called “International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine” published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition…
Benefits of Creatine
- Helps muscle cells produce more energy
- Improves performance during high-intensity exercise
- Expedites muscle growth
- Reduces muscle fatigue
Ok…pretty much sounds like bodybuilders would be stupid NOT to supplement with creatine, right? But wait…is it safe? According to the article referenced above.
Safety
“Since creatine monohydrate became a popular dietary supplement in the early 1990s, over 1,000 studies have been conducted and billions of servings of creatine have been ingested. The only consistently reported side effect from creatine supplementation that has been described in the literature has been weight gain.”
How much of this magic elixir should we be adding to our Wheaties?
Dosing
According an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Informatoin (NCBI), "A typical creatine supplementation protocol consists of a loading phase of 20 g CM/d or 0.3 g CM/kg/d split into 4 daily intakes of 5 g each, followed by a maintenance phase of 3-5 g CM/d or 0.03 g CM/kg/d for the duration of the supplementation period."
Well, there we have it folks. Creatine is safe AND effective, not to mention dirt cheap. It is a staple supplement in bodybuilding. powerlifting, and mainstream sports alike...so, why aren’t you using it again?