Today I will talk about creatine, one of the best supplements with a multitude of scientific evidence.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a supplement that helps increase energy, thus improving performance in any sport that is practiced.
What are the benefits of creatine?
Increased energy
Creatine increases muscle phosphocreatine stores when ATP stores are depleted. ATP is the molecule that our cells use to produce energy. When we play sports, ATP breaks down to produce this energy, and there comes a time when it runs out.
What creatine does is increase phosphocreatine reserves so that ATP continues to be produced, and thus the muscles continue to perform their function?
Gain muscle mass
Creatine helps form new muscle fibers, making it the perfect turkesterone uk supplement to gain muscle mass.
Improves performance in sports
This is due to the increased production of ATP, therefore:
- There is an increase in strength in training.
- Improvement in endurance sports.
- Reduces fatigue and aids in muscle recovery.
Who can take creatine?
Creatine is a supplement for athletes and people starting out in the world of sports.
And I always tell you, it is important that both the diet and the training are by personal objectives. If we take creatine, but our diet is not adequate, and our training needs to be improved, we will not obtain benefits.
Does creatine retain fluid?
No. What creatine does do is increase the water content of the muscles. This is called cell volumization. The muscle increases in size due to the volume of water, but it is not fluid retention, as some may think. Muscle cells must be hydrated so protein catabolism does not occur, and muscle mass is degraded.
What dose of creatine is adequate?
The dose of creatine in a person who is not supplemented, that is, through the diet, is usually between 1 and 2 grams a day of creatine. We can say that creatine reserves would be at 60-70%. When supplementing with creatine, we are looking to increase our reserves by 20-40% more and thus benefit from this great supplement.
Loading phase for 5-7 days. We will take 0.3 grams of creatine per kilo of weight four times daily. Example: A person weighing 60 kilos will take between 18-20 grams of creatine per day in the loading phase, divided into 4 doses.
Reserve maintenance phase, ingesting between 3-5 grams per day.
When is the best time to take creatine?
Studies have shown that more creatine will be retained in the muscle if we take creatine with protein and carbohydrates. For example, I take it post-workout, with a protein shake and a banana, and on rest days at breakfast.