Creatine: The Natural Bulk Muscle Builder
Creatine is a natural substance found in the body, therefore, is
not classified as a drug. It is legal to use in the US and most
other countries as it is considered a food supplement. Many
athletes who want to remain legal and yet gain muscle bulk and
energy, use creatine instead of steroids.
Creatine is made up of three different amino acids - Arginine,
Glycine and Methionine. These are produced in the kidneys and
pancreas. The liver takes these three and combines them into
creatine. A person can also utilize more creatine by adding
certain foods to their diet such as fish and beef. However, one
could never eat enough of these alone to make a noticeable
difference in the body. Creatine is used by most athletes today
because it does basically three things. First of all, it pulls
fluid into the muscles, thus hydrating the muscles. The more you
workout, the more you sweat, the more dehydrated your muscles
become. Simply put, creatine keeps the muscles wet and working.
Secondly, creatine enhances actual muscle growth, making muscle
fibers bigger and stronger. Thirdly, creatine helps reserve and
increase muscle energy by regenerating the muscles' ultimate
energy source, ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The result is that
you can workout longer, with greater energy output and quicker
reflexes.
In double blind placebo studies, creatine has been proven to
increase energy levels, resulting in increased strength,
endurance levels, and recovery rates. Another benefit of
creatine was discovered as well: creatine accelerates fat loss,
while building lean body mass! Muscle mass can be significantly
increased in as little as two weeks. Strenuous athletic workouts
dehydrate the body, tire the muscles and quickly deplete energy
levels. Creatine overcomes all of these hindrances to fitness
and bodybuilding by keep the muscles hydrated, building muscle
size and giving that extra energy needed for a longer workout or
a demanding athletic event. The result is a longer more
energetic workout resulting in a bigger, stronger body with
greater stamina and endurance. Now you know why athletes use
this on a regular basis.
At this time, clinical studies have not revealed any side
effects of using a creatine
supplement. The muscles naturally contain 3.5 to 4 grams of
creatine per kilogram of muscle. The muscles can hold up to 5
grams of creatine. Thus, you can increase your available
creatine 25 - 30% by taking an additive. By taking 5 grams of
creatine daily you are giving your body the maximum amount it
can store and actually utilize. Any more than this will be
excreted as waste.
Most supplement companies recommend a procedure called loading
where you take in about 20 - 30 grams per day for the first week
of so. This is supposed to saturate your muscles with creatine.
Although this may allow you to see results a little more
quickly, it is not absolutely necessary. Another good idea is to
cycle the creatine, that is, to take the creatine for a month
and then quit for a week and repeat. The theory behind this is
that if you are taking in sufficient amounts of creatine, then
the body might decide to quit making it naturally. This is a
good idea to implement with all supplements as your body can
either quit making the natural product or become immune to its
effects. Since creatine has not really been on the market long
enough to know it long use effect, it is better to stay on the
safe side.