When it comes to sports nutrition supplements, the demand is high to provide the best possible supplementation that tastes good, comes at a convenient price and ultimately works. With the supplement/fitness industry on the rise with more people being interested in the many aspects, there has never been a better time to stock up with all the best supplement products. Creatine being one of the most essential muscle building and performance products on the market.
What Is creatine? Creatine is a substance that is naturally found in muscle cells in the body, it assists the muscles in producing more energy during high intensity exercise or weight training. Being one of the most researched products on the planet, many studies have stated the positive impacts creatine has on the body from a variety of training perspectives. Researchers have established that creatine can increase muscle mass, exercise performance and strength.
Popular among many fitness enthusiasts and athletes worldwide, it is a very talked about ingredient for all the right reasons. 95% of creatine is stored in the bodies muscles in the form of phosphocreatine, in addition to that the remaining 5% is stored in the brain, kidneys and liver. A variety of factors may slightly affects creatine stores which vary from meat consumption, exercise, the amount of muscle mass and levels of hormones such as testosterone and IGF-1.
Many athletes worldwide consume creatine daily to aid in their recovery and performance. High intensity exercises range from popular sporting events such as tennis, rowing, rugby and football. Therefore providing phosphocreatine stores are replenished will further aid in performance.
Increasing creatine consumption can impact phosphocreatine stores that is the form of energy in cells. This helps the body produce more of a high-energy molecule ATP. This is known as the bodies energy currency, the more ATP being produced during a workout, the better the performance and duration will be. Alongside the mechanics of creatine and the effects, it also alongside moderate/high intensity exercises provide increased cellular hydration which is a process where the body draws more water into the muscle cells commonly called cell volumization. This provides more of a pump aspect whilst training.
Others benefits of creatine consumption range from raised anabolic hormones such as increased testosterone and IGF-1, reduced protein breakdown preventing muscle from being broken down, boosted workload furthermore contributing to muscle growth and increased cell signalling which aids in muscle repair and muscle growth.
There are many blends of creatine powder however, creatine monohydrate is the most researched for muscle growth and performance. With all that being said, creatine is one of the cheapest sports supplements on the market with many established nutrition companies selling this muscle building supplement. It has been shown to help with brain health, performance and is also suitable for vegetarians as consumption may be slightly slow. A great way to increase muscular endurance and performance daily. Loading phases vary, it was a very talked about topic many years ago when there was limited research on daily consumption. Recent literature has outlined that 5 grams of creatine monohydrate should be consumed daily as it is the clinical dosage. We highly recommend sticking to that value and not over consuming.
Jordan Fleet joins the team to help simplify complex topics ranging from training, nutrition, supplements and many more. With a trade in mechanical engineering and one more year remaining on completing his sports nutrition and health degree at Liverpool John Moores University. Jordan will provide a better insight into different areas of fitness in the hope to provide the best quality service/information he can offer.
An advocate for training with a strong mindset, nutrition balancing and enjoying life. Find him in the nearest gym or many coffee shops.