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_creatine _
By: adam
Creatine, Beneficial or Waste of $$$$$? Having finally resolved to work out at
the gym, you sweat and toil for weeks on end only to look in the mirror and
see little to show for it. It's the paradox of the New Year's resolution
exerciser. Seeing physical results can help exercisers stay true to their
fitness programs, yet for many it takes months to achieve noticeable muscle
changes. Creatine Monohydrate has become the most popular supplement in the
world among individuals interested in body-building and fitness. As you
probably know creatine (usually in the form of creatine monohydrate) is a
supplement taken to enhance anaerobic performance. Creatine Monohydrate is a
white, odorless crystalline powder, clear and colorless in solution. With its
popularity, you may find creatine at any health or sport product retailer. It
sells for roughly $35 a bottle, and is distributed by many manufacturers.
Creatine serves as an energy reserve in muscle cells. Muscular contraction is
powered by the breakdown of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to ADP
(adenosinediphosphate). When all the ATP is broken down, creatine phosphate in
the muscle donates a phosphate group to ADP, and further energy reactions can
occur. Creatine monohydrate is a precursor to creatine phosphate. By
supplementing with CM, CP levels in muscle apparently are maximized, and more
muscular work can occur, since there are greater energy reserves to use.
Approximately 95% of the body's creatine supply is found in the skeletal
muscles. The remaining 5% are scattered throughout the rest of the body, with
the highest concentrations in the heart, brain and testes. A skeletal muscle
itself does not produce creatine, but utilizes the creatine originating in the
liver and kidneys. The human body gets most of the creatine it needs from food
or dietary supplements. Creatine is easily absorbed from the intestinal tract
into the bloodstream. Rich dietary sources of creatine include red muscle
meats (beef) as well as fish. Creatine, however, is sensitive to heat and
cooking, and the full amounts available in these food sources may be reduced
during normal preparation. When dietary consumption is inadequate to meet the
body's needs, a limited supply can be synthesized from the amino acids
arginine, glycine and methionine. This creatine production occurs in the
liver, pancreas and kidneysThe bottom line is that your ability to
regenerate ATP depends on your supply of creatine. More creatine, more ATP
remade, and more ability to train your muscles to their maximum potential.
It's that simple. This greater ATP synthesis also keeps your body from relying
on another energy system called glycolysis, which has lactic acid as a
byproduct. This lactic acid creates the burning sensation you feel during
intense exercise. If the amount of acid becomes too great, muscle movement
stops. But if you keep on using ATP because of all the creatine you have, you
can minimize the amount of lactic acid produced and actually exercise longer
and harder. This helps you gain strength, power and muscle size; and you won't
get fatigued as easily. Creatine has also been thought to enhance your body's
ability to make proteins, although there is yet no definite proof of this.
Creatine, though, is believed to help absorb intracellular water in muscle
cells by bloating the muscle with creatine rich fluid. This allows for greater
leverage and requires the muscle to move less and lift more weight. While this
may seem kind of trivial, some researchers today think that one of the
stimulating factors of steroid use is water retention. Anabolic steroids may
actually work in part because of cellular fluid retention in the muscles. The
swelling action and the related stretching of the cells may in and of itself
cause a reaction which stimulates the muscle cells to grow. So in some
respects creatine might be as good as steroids Whether you're an
accomplished athlete or you've just started an exercise program, you need to
know about creatine. Many supplements touted over the years as muscle builders
have come and gone, but creatine is here to stay. Creatine has many benefits,
but also has its shortcomings. You must be well-informed before using this
nutrient. Nausea, upset stomach, dizziness or weakness, loose stools or
diarrhea are the most common side effects, and generally occur with dosages
greater than 5 g a day. Muscle cramping is also commonly reported. Sprains and
strains can occur when individuals overenthusiastically and rapidly increase
their workout regimen before their tendons and ligaments are adapted to the
increase in muscle size. Long-term consequences of daily creatine ingestion,
especially in high dosages, are currently unknown. There is a strong
possibility that excess creatine can put stress on the kidneys. Individuals
with kidney disease should not use creatine. The most benefit will likely be
noticed by body builders or anyone who wishes to have more muscle mass. It is
still unclear whether athletes involved in endurance activities such as
marathon running or long-distance bicycling will benefit from creatine
supplementation. There have been anecdotal reports that people in these sports
may benefit, although other studies show that creatine either does not help or
may actually hurt. The difficulty in these situations appears to center on the
increased muscle mass which creatine provides. While that's great if you're a
bodybuilder or wrestler, it can be a detriment if you have to carry all that
weight around during a marathon or triathlon. It becomes a tradeoff between
the increased strength you get from creatine and the increased muscle mass.
Further research will provide us with more definitive answers as to what role
creatine supplementation can play in endurance-type sports Creatine seems to
be well-studied in scientific research. Scientific evidence supporting
creatine is there, but while some very good results have been reported, like
20 pounds body weight gain in 6 weeks and increase in stength, others have
reported no significant gains whatsoever while taking the supplement. Like all
supplements, supplementing creatine is useless if your body already has enough
of it. Further supplementation is then not needed and just a waste of money.
If however, you do not have the optimal levels of creatine in your muscle
cells, then supplementation is a good idea which can really enhance your
training. Some people get minimal or no effect from creatine. This is probably
due to their already high creatine levels due to dietary intake or perhaps the
efficiency/inefficiency that they produce ATP. If you take creatine
monohydrate and don't notice any results in about 2 weeks it's a good bet that
you're one of these people. Once you plateau, your muscle cells will probably
be saturated with creatine and since the body loses about 1-2% creatine a day
you should be able to get away with cycling on and off creatine to lengthen
your results. Once you stop creatine supplementation and your body clears it
100% (about a 2 month process) you'll probably be back at your old strength
and muscle mass levels. Of course the gains in mental ability (I've done this
before I can do it now) and tendon/skeletal strength increase resulting from
these heavier workouts will remain You must also be aware of the proper
usage of creatine. Usually, the use of creatine is split into a loading and
maintenance phase. During the loading phase, large quantities of creatine
monohydrate are taken. Because the creatine only slowly disappears from the
body, a maintenance phase in which less creatine is taken will still provide
the body with adequate levels of creatine. For suggested duration of the
phases and quantities see below. Creatine (creatine monohydrate) dosage
derived from works by Pierre Dahl (nutritionist at NSTC in Stockholm, Sweden)
and professor Hultman (at Huddinge Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden)
Recommendations: Bodyweight Phase 1 (loading) Phase 2 (maintenance) days
1-4 days 5 and on 65-74kg 143-163lbs 10g per day (2x5g per day) 3g per day
75-84kg 165-185lbs 15g per day (2x7.5g per day) 4g per day 85-95kg
187-209lbs 20g per day (2x10 per day) 5g per day [NSTC mentioned above is an
abbreviation for Nutrition and Soft Tissue Center.] Note: it is discouraged to
use caffeine while on creatine; while creatine makes your muscles hold water,
caffeine will do the opposite, thereby reducing the effects of the creatine
intake. * Don't mix creatine with citrus juice. Orange, grapefruit, cranberry,
in fact, most fruit juices have been most recently found to neutralize the
activity of creatine monohydrate. The reason is the waste product creatine
develops. A lot of you put creatine on your tongue and drink it down with
grapefruit juice. If you have taken creatine this way in the past, stop it
now! You are not getting creatine, you're getting waste product. * Do mix
creatine monohydrate with warm water--in a glass. This is the only way to
ensure you're getting the full benefits of creatine in its dry form. Creatine
does not have to dissolve to be effective. * Do be sure to drink a full eight
ounce glass of good water 8 times a day. Creatine pulls water from other parts
of the body to perform its work in cell volumization of the muscle. This is
what makes the muscle larger and firmer. Replenish your H2O! My opinion is
you should not waste your money on creatine or any other supplement product.
Your body is the product of millions of years of evolution and everything you
need to make it strong and healthy has been provided for you by God and nature
in so-called healthy "regular food". There truly is no need to take
supplements of any kind. If you really think creatine is going to give your
workouts an extra boost, eat a serving of lean meat every once in a while. You
will be getting all the creatine your body needs at 1/100 the price of a jug
of powder! There are studies that say all the creatine is destroyed when the
manufacturer makes it into a powdered form. Why would anyone pay $35 for a
supplement when it might not even be physically there anymore? And tell me the
truth, can you afford to pay $35 on a regular basis? Even if the powdered form
of creatine were better than the creatine in meat, which it isn't, you would
go broke buying the stuff every week? My advice to you is to take that $35 and
buy bananas, potatoes, chicken, fish, rice, pasta, etc. You will be surprised
how many bags of groceries $35 will buy you. If you want to get big, stay big
and healthy for life, and not go broke buying useless supplements, here is how
to do it: get enough sleep every night, make a habit of eating nutritiously,
exercise regularly, dont drink alcohol or smoke, and finally be consistent.
_Bibliography _
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