This week, we’ll be talking about an extremely hot topic in weight training; creatine. Creatine is one of the most misconceived supplements, and in this article, with Marc’s opinion, we’ll try to help clear up these issues using his knowledge, and more importantly; experience. Throughout his years, Marc has become extremely familiar with supplements. Creatine is one of his favorites, and one he believes is essential to every athlete who wants to take their training to the next level. Hopefully by the end of this article, we’ll be able to leave you with a more informed opinion on this awesome supplement.
First of all, creatine is found in certain foods, such as steak. The supplement is just much more than you could get out of the food. Just to be clear, we are talking about creatine monohydrate powder. It’s important to make sure your creatine is 100% pure, and doesn’t have anything weird added into it. We are talking about this kind because it’s the best, and it’s the only one Marc has used.
It’s one of the best supplements on the market to increase strength, and endurance. In turn, it also is one of the best muscle gaining supplements out there. Many people think there are side effects of creatine, but there really aren’t. Marc, and many others, have been consistently using creatine for quite some time, and never experienced any negative side effects. The positive ones though, those were prominent. You will see an improvement in strength, muscular endurance, and even a gain in weight quite quickly after beginning use. There are many studies that can prove the benefits of creatine, and not many that can pinpoint side effects.
Though the “loading phase” is the quickest way to see muscular strength, size, and endurance improvements, and hasn’t been proven as bad in any way, Marc believes it isn’t necessary. What he does is take 5-7g in his post-workout shake to be sure he doesn’t take too much, and while it may be slower to see the results at first, they will come. If you want to help the creatine reach your muscles more quickly, drinking it with protein, and some sugars like dextrose to boost your insulin levels can increase the speed it reaches them. Though he doesn’t load, Marc does believe taking a break every 3 months or so is good, not only to give your body a bit of a break, but it’ll give you better results.
Another misconception is the gained weight being water. To begin with, muscles are 73% water. This means on 10 pounds of muscle, 7.3lbs should be water. The initial weight you gain may be water, but there is nothing to prove it’s any different than any other muscle you have gained without creatine. Actually, creatine works with water to reinvigorate muscles with ATP, which is what gives them energy while training. Due to this, your body will use a lot of water so it can work properly, and to its full potential. It’s extremely important to hydrate properly when taking creatine. This means you should drink 3-4L of pure water everyday.
To conclude, though there is nothing we see harmful about the supplement, you should always check with your doctor before you start taking it. Especially if you’re a teenager, it’s even more important.
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