The Complete Guide to Creatine
I have cited the benefits of creatine for well over a decade now. In this complete guide to creatine, I break down what is widely considered to be the king of all supplements. What’s it like? It is difficult to explain. I just feel better when I'm on it. More clarity, less brain fog, and it certainly helps my body repair when I'm training hard. As I hit my forties, I realised that my body didn't repair or heal as quickly as it used to. Creatinine plays a pivotal role in reducing those aches and pains.
So what exactly is creatine?
Creatine is found naturally in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce more energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise, resulting in increased muscle mass. Your muscles then convert creatine into creatine phosphate, which is then generated into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which your body uses for explosive exercise.
Now, don't get protein and creatine confused. In short, creatine leads to more strength during your workout, whereas protein leads to more muscle repair after your workout, and creatine isn't a replacement for protein.
How does creatine work?
Creatine shares many similarities with amino acids. Your body can produce it from the amino acids glycine and arginine. Numerous factors affect your body's creatine stores, including meat intake, exercise, amount of muscular mass and levels of hormones such as testosterone and IGF-1.
About 95% of your body's creatine is stored in the muscles in the form of phosphate creatine. The other 5% is found in your brain, kidneys and liver.
When you supplement, you increase your stores of phosphate creatine; this is a form of stored energy in the cells as it helps your body produce more of a high energy molecule called ATP. Creatine also alters numerous cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength, and recovery.
One 14 week study in older adults out of the Journal of Clinical Medicine determined that adding creatine to a weight training programme significantly increased leg strength and muscle mass. In high-intensity exercise, its primary role is to increase the phosphate creatine stores in your muscles.
So what are the benefits of creatine?
Just like your muscles, your brain stores creatine and requires plenty of ATP for optimal function. So far, we know that it improves performance, supports muscular size and strength, and recovery. However, creatine has a lot of science backed benefits for both athletic performance and health as well. A study from the Royal Society reports that creatine can play an essential role in improving brain health and preventing neurologic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and even epilepsy.
Are there any cons to creatine to be aware of?
Creatine strong safety profile is commonly overshadowed by media reports claiming that it harms your kidneys and causes extreme bloating. Another myth that still persists is that it makes you go bald. But many of these claims are not backed up by scientific studies. There have, however, countless studies of people of all ages supplementing with creatine and not having any adverse effects.
Disclaimer: Never replace the advice you read with that of a medical professional.
Second, the most common complaint associated with taking a creatine supplement is stomach discomfort due to bloatedness. This feeling of bloating most often occurs with people doing the loading phase, which is another reason not to do it.
Another issue with the loading phase is, creatine also tends to pour water into your muscle cells. This may cause bloating or adding of water weight. In fact, the average weight gain for adults in the first week of using creatine during the load phase is 1.5 to three pounds, though that weight gain may be due to water retention.
It has been noted that an athlete that has used creatine over three months will gain upwards of 6.5 pounds of lean muscle mass, more than an athlete that is not trained with creatine.
How do you take it & how much?
Creatine supplements usually come in tablets or powder form. You can drink it by mixing the powder with water or juice. It's best taken at the same each day.
To load or not to load?
I skip the loading phase altogether because I have heard it's a load of bollocks dreamt up by the supplement companies to get you to buy more, which sounds more likely if you ask me.
“I call bullshit when it comes to the loading phase.”
I also heard Ben Greenfield say that you should actually split the recommended 5g into two 2.5g servings split throughout the day because of your bioavailability. He reports that as much as 50% (2.5g) gets wasted because of your bodies inability to absorb it all at once.
I take all 5g at once. I would end up forgetting the second dose. But I have spoken with other fitness pros and industry experts who have said it makes little difference. The most important thing is to stay consistent with it over the long term.
Which type of creatine should you buy?
From creatine monohydrate, creatine hydrochloride, and creatine nitrate? It all adds more confusion surrounding which supplement is right for you. To keep it simple, creatine monohydrate is the best option based on scientific evidence. Creatine monohydrate is backed by the most robust research, with studies demonstrating its effectiveness, increasing your body stores and improving exercise performance.
