Creatine - How can it Improve your Performance to get the best out of your Training
Author: Luke Date Posted:16 September 2013
Creatine Monohydrate
What is Creatine Monohydrate?
Creatine Monohydrate refers to a foundation sports supplement which aims to increase the amount of Creatine Phosphate present in the body at a given time. Creatine Phosphate is produced naturally throughout the liver, kidneys and pancreas[1] and can be found in many food sources. Creatine works in conjunction with the energy system ATP to produce energy for muscular contractions during intense bouts of exercise[2], a lack of Creatine Phosphate may lead to decreased athletic performance.
How can Creatine Monohydrate help me?
The consumption of Creatine Monohydrate causes the body to convert and then transport it into the cells via Crea T1[3] (a Creatine transporting molecule). Through this process, the body is able to have higher than normal levels of Creatine Phosphate, effectively giving the body more fuel to burn (convert to ATP) during exercise. Creatine has also been reported to increase athletic performance, namely strength, with studies conducted recording a 14% Increase on 1Rep Max bench press after Creatine Supplementation[4] compared to those who were not given Creatine. This therefore means that Creatine will help you lift heavier, harder and for longer.
Creatine has also been shown in studies to increase the amount of muscle mass the body produces during extended periods of resistance training. One study conducted showed that after 8 weeks of supplementing with Creatine the total group who supplemented gained an average of 2.2kg of muscle mass as opposed to the 0.6kg for the group who did not.
Further studies conducted on Creatine have not only shown that it can increase athletic performance, but it also helps the body recover from exercise due to decreased oxidative DNA damage caused by resistance training[5] .
When and how much Creatine Monohydrate should I take?
Creatine is typically dosed at around 5 grams per day, depending on body size. Prior to reaching the maintenance stage users who are new to Creatine often "Creatine load"[6] for the first 7 to 14 days of using the supplement in order to quickly fill the bodies Creatine stores, this phase can see individuals using up to 20 grams per day.
The timing of Creatine has been subject to much debate as many feel that the timing is irrelevant. A study conducted in 2006 disproved this chain of thought after it reported subjects taking Creatine immediately pre workout and post workout displayed increases in both muscle mass and strength compared to those who merely took it morning/evening[7].
What studies have been done using Creatine Monohydrate?
Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most tried and tested sports supplements available. It has been subject to thousands of studies ranging from its effect on increased energy production, increase strength and muscle size and even its effect on bodyweight.
Why is our Creatine Monohydrate considered high quality than other cheap companies selling Creatine?
Our Creatine is manufactured in the strictest pharmaceutical conditions that test for Creatinine levels which is less than 100ppm , Dihydrotriazine is not present, Dicyanadiamide is less than 50 ppm.
[1] Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012; 9:33.
[2] Williams, Melvin H. (1998). The Ergogenics Edge: Pushing the Limits of Sports Performance. Champaign: Human Kinetics.
[3] Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012; 9:33.
[4] Rawson ES, Volek JS. Effects of Creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. J Strength Cond Rest 2003 17(4) 822-31.
[5] Rahimi R. Creatine supplementation decreases oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation induced by single bout of resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25(12) 3448-55.
[6] Williams MH, Branch JD. Creatine supplementation and exercise performance: An update. J Am Coll Nutr (1998) 17:216-234.
[7] Cribb P. J, Hayes A. Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov; 38(11):1918-25.
Comments (1)
Great blog post, love your work!
By: Joe Blog on 22 March 2014Awesome nice blog post
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