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Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and
arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty
of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it's
unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions.
Let's first establish what creatine actually is. In brief, creatine is produced
naturally in our bodies to help supply energy to the muscles. It is produced in
the liver, pancreas and kidneys before being transported in the blood to our
muscles. It is then converted into phosphocreatine which is a powerful
metabolite used to regenerate the muscles' ATP source of energy.
From a bodybuilder's perspective, creatine can significantly increase lean
muscle mass quickly, improve performance in high intensity exercise, raise
energy levels and speed up recovery rates. Creatine's ability to raise energy
in muscles is due to its muscle protein synthesizing action whilst reducing the
breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine has the effect of
super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also improves muscle growth adding
size and strength to muscle fibers.
Creatine is normally taken in two ways. The first involves loading the muscles
with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four to seven days. At the end of
this phase maintenance involves a regular intake of 5 to 15 grams per day. The
other method is more gradual in that it skips out the loading phase and simply
involves supplementing with 5 to 15 grams per day for an extended period.
Two questions remain to be answered - does it work and is it safe? Creatine has
undoubtedly been proven effective in recent years - over twenty scientific
studies have concluded that creatine can increase energy levels and result in
enhanced strength, endurance levels and recovery rates. As a training aid it
therefore has many merits. In terms of safety, no study to date has shown
creatine to be anything other than safe, provided manufacturers' instructions
are followed.
There is a bewildering range of creatine supplements on the market so subsequent
articles in this series will examine the relative merits of the most popular
and effective forms. In the meantime, you can find out more by visiting the
site listed below.
Richard
Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com
website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all
levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Creatine
Supplements to learn more about the issues covered in
this article.
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