CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS GUIDE

There are hundreds of sites out there that sell you creatine supplements but none of them give you the facts about creatine and whether it's what you need for your goals. This page has everything you wanted to know about creatine supplements. If you are considering creatine supplements you should read this page first. In addition to the information here, if you have any further questions about creatine supplements you can ask us on our forum. It's free to join and you get free advice from experienced bodybuilders.

So...what is creatine?

Put simply, creatine is a compound made by the human body and found in some foods that supplies energy to your muscles. Creatine is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is transported to the body's muscles through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). This high-powered metabolite is used to regenerate the muscles' ultimate energy source, ATP. When you workout your levels of ATP drop rapidly and creatine is responsible for restoring the levels of ATP.

What does creatine do?

Creatine supplements are the most popular form of supplement amongst bodybuilders, and you're about to see why. When it comes to building lean muscle, creatine is your best friend!

1. Provides energy for your muscles:
   To understand how creatine works you need to learn about ATP. ATP is your bodies source of explosive energy. Your body can get energy from other sources such as carbohydrates, but it takes much longer to convert carbohydrates to a useable energy source. So when you need energy fast, your body turns to it's ATP sources. ATP can provide a huge amount of energy to your muscles fast, but it doesn't last long. In fact, you can deplete your ATP stores in just a 15 seconds. This is where creatine kicks in. When you deplete your ATP stores you're left with ADP, which is basically useless for exercise. Now, the creatine which is converted into Creatine Phosphate reacts with the ADP to turn it into ATP. So creatine takes an essentially useless chemical and converts it into useable energy (ATP). Your body can continue to do this until your creatine stores are depleted. This is why it's best to take creatine supplements before your workout, but we get into that later.
2. Enhance protein synthesis:
   Creatine is able to keep your body in are higher anabolic state for longer. (anabolic means the process of building muscle tissue) So the longer your body is in an anabolic state the more opportunity there is for lean muscle growth.
3. Increased muscle volume:
   Put simply, creatine increases the amount of water in your muscles. Sometimes when a bodybuilder takes creatine for the first time they will put on a few pounds within a week or two. This is know as "water weight". Water weight can make your muscles appear larger.
4. Lactic acid buffer
   Commonly known as "the burn", lactic acid builds up in muscle when you're training and leads to that "burning" sensation you feel towards the end of a set. New studies indicate that creatine may act as a buffer and delay lactic acid build up.

The main point you really need to worry about here is point 1. This is where you will be the most results from creatine supplements. Creatine gives you the energy you need to train harder, for longer. The harder you train the more you break down your muscles and more growth potential you have. Remember that if you're training harder you also need the diet and rest to back it up, but that's a different article altogether. Don't overdo it.

Different forms of creatine supplements:

There are many different ways to take creatine supplements. We'll look at the most popular forms which are powder, liquid and capsules. There are other forms avilable but they are seldom used for muscle building.

1. Creatine powder:
   Creatine powder is by far the most popular creatine supplement used by bodybuilders around the world. Powder is also the cheapest and safest form. With powder you simply mix the creatine with water, supplement shake or fruit juice and drink it. Creatine powder is absorbed quickly into the body and is best taken about 30-45mins before your workout.
2. Creatine Capsules:
   Creatine capsules are basically capsules with creatine powder in them. They are not as effective as powder because it's hard to vary the dosage and the creatine is not absorbed as quick as creatine powder.
3. Creatine Liquid:
   Liquid creatine has the advantage of being absorbed very quickly into the body and also getting more creatine absorbed than powders or capsules. This means your body gets more creatine absorbed from the same dosage and you can take it just before you workout. The disadvantage of liquid is the price which is much higher than capsules or powder.

How to take creatine supplements:

There are two ways that creatine supplements are taken, and there is still some debate about which method is the best. First, there's the loading/maintenance method and second, there's the gradual intake method.

1. Loading/maintenance method:
   This method is the most common way of taking creatine supplements. The first 5 days are known as the "loading" phase. During the loading phase you literally load your muscle up with creatine. A dosage of 20-30 grams a day is common for the loading phase. The second phase is the "maintenance" phase. Now that you muscles are full of creatine from the loading phase, all you have to do is regularly top them up. A dosage of 3-10 grams per day is typical for maintenance.
2. Gradual intake method:
   This method just skips the loading phase and lets the creatine levels rise in your muscles over time. Esentially this will achieve the same end result, but loading will achieve it faster.

Some bodybuilders also have off-periods where they stop taking creatine altogether. There is no evidence to suggest that you need to have periods where you do not take creatine however some bodybuilders believe this gives them better results. It's up to you.

When to take creatine supplements:

As we mentioned earlier on this page you want to have the maximum amount of creatine available for your workout. So it makes sense to take creatine supplements before your workout. If you are taking creatine powder you should take it about 30-45 mins before the start of your workout, this gives the creatine time to be absorbed into your muscles. You should spread your creatine dosages out over the day. For example, if you're taking 20grams per day spead it over 4 doses. Your body only absorbs what it needs. So if you take 20 grams in one dose your body will simply absorb what it needs an remove the rest as waste.

Dangers and side effects:

There have been hundreds of studies that show if you are not abusing creatine supplements they are totally safe. Some mild side effects have been reported (like dehydration and stomach aches) but there side effects can be eliminated by drinking enough water. No long term side effects have been reported and there has not been enough studies into long term side effects to indicate any damage. The important point to remember here is like any other supplement is to take only what you need, don't abuse it. If you double your creatine intake you will not get double the effects!

Other creatine questions and myths:

1. Do creatine supplements effect hormone levels? No.
2. Is creatine a type of steroid? No.
3. Does creatine make you fat? No.
4. Do I need to cycle creatine supplements? No, it's up to you.
5. Is creatine safe for pregnant women? Consult your doctor.
6. Is creatine a stable solution? No. Mix it up and drink immediately.
7. Are creatine supplements ok for vegetarian use? Absolutely.

Still have questions about creatine supplements? You can ask us questions about supplements and muscle building over on our muscle building forum. We're more than happy to give you some advice, and it's absolutely free to register!

The product listing for this category will be uploaded soon!