Yes, you read it, “Benefit”. Creatine and its popularity for bodybuilders and athletes in unmatched. It helps your workout and performance in numerous ways, lets check them out!
WHAT IS CREATINE?
Creatine is a natural chemical found in human body. It is a molecule that is produced in the body from amino acids. It is formed of three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine.
Our body stores it as Phosphocreatine in the muscles. It is a form of energy in the cells. This accounts to be 95%. The rest 5% is stored in our brain, kidneys, and liver.Additionally, it makes up about 1 percent of the total volume of human blood. Moreover, it can be found in red meat and fish.
The most common kind of creatine supplement is “Creatine Monohydrate”. It is called monohydrate because it is creatine plus a water molecule. By weight, it normally contains 88-90 percent creatine. Its essential benefit is to draw water into muscle cells, making them more hydrated.
WHAT ARE THE FAMOUS CREATINE BENEFITS?
THE POWER OUTPUT GAME CHANGER – It stores high-energy phosphate groups. It then moves to generate ATP i.e., the energy currency of the body. When there is a strong demand for energy, such as during vigorous physical or mental activity, this role in energy generation is especially important. Thus, it is a great source for enhanced levels of stamina, strength, endurance, metabolism, and energy.
MUSCLE GROWTH BOOSTER – It is popular among bodybuilders and heavy weightlifters because it helps muscle cells expand. It also gives the body a fuller appearance by stimulating increased protein synthesis. It can increase muscle fiber growth two to three times more than training without it. (BioMed Central) Furthermore, lifts water content within your muscle cells, which causes a cell volumization effect.
RECOVERY RATE ENHANCER – Using creatine after exercise promotes muscle repair and decreases severe muscle breakdown. It also reduces workout-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, research show it plays an efficient role in recovering from the wears and tears of injuries. It can also help in reducing cramps after an intense session.
COGNITIVE HEALTH AID – By improving neurons, it helps in boosting the body’s mental activity. A research published by National Institutes of Health in 2017, mentions that the use of creatine helps the cognition in the elderly. A limited amount of study also suggests that “Creatine treatment may be a promising therapeutic approach for females with depression and comorbid methamphetamine dependence.” There have been notable mentions that this supplement can help in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers and even epilepsy.
HOW CAN YOU USE CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS?
The most efficient and popular manner to consume creatine is through powdered supplements. There are multiple brands that are available in the market today, you can check at : https://foodvez.com/?s=creatine&post_type=product
There are 2 basic ways to consume it :
- With Water – Because creatine attracts water to your muscle cells, the most efficient way to take powder is with a glass of water.
- Dry Scooping – Dry scooping is when you take a dry scoop of creatine and put it straight into your mouth without mixing it with water. To help in swallowing, this is either consumed dry or followed with water or another liquid.
WHEN SHOULD YOU TAKE IT?
For the aspect of Dosage, the use of creatine is divided into two categories –
- Loading Phase: Many supplement users begin with a loading phase, which causes a rapid increase in creatine reserves in the muscles. Taking 20 gms per day for 5–7 days to load up on it. This should be divided into four 5-gram portions over the course of the day.
- Maintenance Phase: Following the loading stage, is the maintenance phase. take 3–5 gms each day to keep your muscle levels up. You can continue with this dosage for a long time because there is no benefit to cycling it.
There has always been a dilemma on the correct time of its intake. The answer is either post work or during the workout. Most people prefer it during workout. This is because it allows them to keep high energy levels throughout the session.
