The importance of creatine in building lean muscle
Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most
popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement
currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100%
natural and occurs in many foods so it's unlikely to be banned
from any sports or competitions.
Let's first establish what creatine actually is. In brief,
creatine is produced naturally in our bodies to help supply
energy to the muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas and
kidneys before being transported in the blood to our muscles. It
is then converted into phosphocreatine which is a powerful
metabolite used to regenerate the muscles' ATP source of energy.
From a bodybuilder's perspective, creatine can significantly
increase lean muscle mass quickly, improve performance in high
intensity exercise, raise energy levels and speed up recovery
rates. Creatine's ability to raise energy in muscles is due to
its muscle protein synthesizing action whilst reducing the
breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine has the
effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also
improves muscle growth adding size and strength to muscle fibers.
Creatine is normally taken in two ways. The first involves
loading the muscles with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for
four to seven days. At the end of this phase maintenance involves
a regular intake of 5 to 15 grams per day. The other method is
more gradual in that it skips out the loading phase and simply
involves supplementing with 5 to 15 grams per day for an extended
period.
Two questions remain to be answered - does it work and is it
safe? Creatine has undoubtedly been proven effective in recent
years - over twenty scientific studies have concluded that
creatine can increase energy levels and result in enhanced
strength, endurance levels and recovery rates. As a training aid
it therefore has many merits. In terms of safety, no study to
date has shown creatine to be anything other than safe, provided
manufacturers' instructions are followed.
There is a bewildering range of creatine supplements on the
market so subsequent articles in this series will examine the
relative merits of the most popular and effective forms. In the
meantime, you can find out more by visiting the site listed
below.
Richard Mitchell is the creator of the
www.bodybuildingadvisor.com
website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all
levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to
learn more about the issues covered in this article.
See Also:
Index of All Body Building & Fitness Articles
Index of All Sports Articles
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