Creatine
monohydrate
is still on top as the sports supplement that works
in body building and intense fitness training
Of all the sports supplements out there,
creatine
monohydrate may be energy booster you’ve been
looking for. Used in bodybuilding diets and the
fitness training of elite athletes and serious
amateur athletes for the last ten years, creatine
monohydrate provides you muscles with energy for
short burst, strength demanding exercise like
bodybuilding, sprinting, and football. In
particular, weight lifters and others on
bodybuilding diets have great success with creatine
monohydrate. The benefits of creatine for endurance
athletes are not as clear. But let’s take a look.
Creatine itself is a nutrient made by the liver
and kidneys. About 95% of the body’s creatine is
stored in muscle tissue. Inside muscle cells,
creatine is transformed into creatine phosphate
which provides the short term energy for muscle
contractions. So what about creatine monohydrate?
Simply stated, creatine monohydrate is the most
commonly used form of synthetic creatine (not
produced by the body). It is one molecule of
creatine bonded with one molecule of water. Most
studies of creatine usage have been conducted with
creatine monohydrate.
Learn about creatine side
effects before trying supplementation
If you are considering taking creatine
bodybuilding supplements, you are right to be
concerned about creatine side effects. As with any
supplement you take, you should educate yourself
about what it is and where it comes from. Based on
research to date, creatine if taken in the
recommended doses from a reputable manufacturer of
bodybuilding supplements, causes no harmful creatine
side effects.
Creatine occurs naturally in meat and fish and is
used in your muscles to generate energy for 1 to 10
seconds of intense exercise. By boosting your
creatine levels with creatine powder or pills
(bodybuilding supplements), you can work out longer
and more intensely.
For healthy adults (over 18), creatine side
effects include:
- Short term weight gain due to water retention
- Long term muscle mass gain
Unresearched reports of creatine side effects
include:
- Cramping
- Nausea
- Frequent injuries
Other reports of creatine side effects are
unproven by the current research. However, as
creatine is still a relatively new sports
supplement, future research may shed more light on
creatine usage.
Remember that creatine supplements are not a
shortcut way to improved athletic performance.
Creatine can help you train more intensely, but you
still have to train! In addition, not everyone
responds to creatine supplementation. |
