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Creatine
Is it pumping you up or letting you down?
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements around when one is looking to build lean muscle mass or boost explosive performance as in quick sprints and jumps. Why? Because it’s cheap, it’s safe, and it does what it is supposed to. However, that does not mean that we don’t still get questions regularly regarding the use of creatine. So we thought we would do a podcast/newsletter dedicated to creatine.
Creatine is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid in your body. It is stored mostly in your muscles. When you engage in high intensity exercise, your body will start rapidly breaking down ATP (energy) to fuel this exercise. If you can’t replenish this ATP fast enough, that is when fatigue will set in. This is where creatine comes in to play. It can aid in rapidly replenishing the ATP to boost your exercise capacity.
Your body will make and excrete about 2 grams of creatine per day. Creatine is made primarily from the protein you ingest in your diet with your liver and kidneys also being able to make some when needed. However, with your body only making about 2 grams per day, this will not fully saturate your creatine stores. It is enough to get by, but if you are an athlete or someone looking to maximize strength gains, this is where creatine supplementation comes in.
The Simplified Takeaways…
Is Creatine safe to take? Yes, there are hundreds of studies demonstrating it’s safety and effectiveness.
Is it a steroid? No, it is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid in your body. You can buy it over the counter and it is allowed in professional sports.
Will it make me retain a bunch of water? Creatine will pull water into your muscles, but this is not a bad thing. Your muscles are mostly water and this will help with building muscle.
Do I need to load creatine? You can if you want, but we don’t really see the need.
Well then how much should I take? 5 grams a day is good.
Is it safe for women to take? Yes, it produces the same benefits in women.
What kind of creatine should I get? Creatine monohydrate. Anything else is most likely just marketing.
Further Reading
Disclaimer: This newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advise. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advise for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.