September, 2010
August 11th, 2009
February 4th, 2010
YouTube ChannelPower Creatine - your ideal sports supplement
Apart from whey protein powders and whey protein shakes most bodybuilders will tell you creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports supplement available. That’s because there are numerous studies backed by anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine supplementation.
For elite athletes, serious bodybuilders and regular sports enthusiasts, creatine supplementation increases fat free mass and improves anaerobic and possibly aerobic performance.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural constituent of meat, mainly found in red meat. Creatine is manufactured naturally in the body from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. This process takes place in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
Approximately 40% of the body's creatine stores are free creatine (Cr), while the remaining 60% is stored in form of creatine phosphate (CP). The typical male adult processes 2 grams of creatine per day, and replaces that amount through dietary intake and fabrication within the body.
Creatine is used for the resynthesis of ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the "power" that drives muscles. When a muscle is required to contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by breaking this bond powers the contraction of the muscle.
When ATP is depleted within the cell, the cell can no longer contract. There are several methods by which the body rebuilds ATP. The fastest method, without oxygen, is through CP. Creatine phosphate is "split" to yield the phosphate portion of the molecule.
This phosphate portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP. Once CP stores within the cell are depleted, the body must use other methods to replenish ATP.
What does this mean for me?
In a nutshell, creatine allows you to work harder for longer and so improve fitness and rack up muscle mass gains. Supplementation with creatine increases Cr and CP within the muscle, allowing further capacity to regenerate ATP. In other words, the creatine enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise. The periods are brief because the ability of a cell to store CP is limited, therefore the body will quickly move to other methods of replenishing ATP.
Increasing dietary creatine allows the maximum amount of CP storage to be reached, which in turn provides more capacity to regenerate ATP.
What else does supplementing with creatine do? Another effect of creatine supplementation appears to be enhanced ability for the muscle to store glycogen. Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate stored inside the muscle that is used to fuel anaerobic activity. The ATP-CP pathway is used during the initial few seconds that work is performed. The next dominant system uses glycolysis, which requires glycogen to fuel activity. After several seconds to a few minutes, the dominant system becomes the oxidative or cardiovascular system - in other words, aerobic exercise. Many studies have shown that replenishing glycogen stores may aid recovery and muscle growth. Bodybuilders commonly use what is known as carb-loading to supersaturate their muscles with glycogen. Glycogen requires water to enter the muscle cell, therefore having higher glycogen levels means more fat-free mass and larger, fuller muscles. What is carb-loading?
Many bodybuilders have a loading phase where they take more of the sports supplement in the first week of use to saturate their muscles with creatine. This means taking about 15 to 25 grams per day for 1 week. Some users however, will skip the loading phase. Studies have shown just taking the maintenance dose of about 5 grams a day will accomplish the same result as loading except that it will take 3-4 weeks for your system to reach saturation levels as opposed to only 1 week when you load.
So the benefit to loading is quicker results, not greater results. A small percentage of people will not do the loading phase if they notice some gastric distress at the higher 15-25 gram a day loading dose.
What is a creatine maintenance phase?
This refers to the period after the first week of use. The second or maintenance phase keeps your muscles saturated with a much smaller daily dose. A maintenance dose is about 5 grams a day.
When should I take creatine?
Typically, you take only 5 grams at a time. If you're in a loading phase, space your 5 gram servings evenly throughout the day. Competitive bodybuilders vary dramatically in the timing of their creatine consumption. Ideal times are before and after a workout. The reason for the varied timing of taking creatine is that it works almost any time of day. Just as it takes a week to load up in your system, one study showed it remained effective even for several weeks after stopping creatine. So take it when it's most convenient for you. If there is a preference among users, it would be right after a workout along with a high carb post workout shake.
What is the best post workout shake to take while supplementing with creatine?
Ideally you should opt for a shake that contains the optimum mix of protein and carbs to fuel your workout and maximise recovery (Multipower Creatine uses Creapure branded creatine)
Studies during the loading phase have shown creatine can be more effective when taken with high glycemic index carbohydrates. That means you should take it with a carbohydrate rich meal. The theory is that raising insulin levels by consuming simple sugars helps to better transport creatine and protein into muscle.
How long should I take creatine for?
Most people take creatine for 1.5 to 3 months, then go off of it for a month before resuming again. Multipower’s creatine supplements are an excellent way to ensure you achieve the best results. Multipower Creatine capsules contain 100% Creatine Monohydrate – a micro-fine substance for fast absorption and to help promote water retention in the muscle making them appear larger.
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