What is Creatine and How much Should I take
Excellent results have been observed in taking creatine monohydrate in two different ways. The first way is called loading. This method works very well for anyone who has never taken creatine before. Just as the name implies, it involves loading up or saturating your muscles with creatine. During the first four days to a week, take 20 to 30 grams per day. Mix it with non-acidic juice or water. Grape juice works well. After this loading period, take a regular intake of between five to fifteen grams per day to keep your muscles saturated (no need to over do it). The other method is a more gradual approach to supplementing with creatine monohydrate. Over the course of an extended period, one basically skips the loading phase and just supplements with five to fifteen grams per day, everyday. The best results have been noticed when creatine is combined with a high carbohydrate base, such as dextrose (glucose) and taken about one-half hour before training.
The best part about creatine-no adverse effects have been reported in any studies. NONE! Creatine is totally safe and effective. Creatine has never been shown harmfully toxic. Nevertheless, just like with anything, it is not recommended to over-supplement once your muscles are saturated with creatine-there is no reason to. This means, stick to the recommended dosages, and be prepared to experience the very best muscle, strength, energy, and endurance gains possible!
We at What is Creatine believe this is How Creatine Works
The science behind creatine supplementation
At every point of every day, the body needs energy. Now, this need is not for the kind of energy you get by drinking coffee or popping a diet pill filled with caffeine. That kind of energy is stimulant in nature, and in no way supports the body’s nutritional energy requirements. The kind of energy we are talking about is ATP energy. It is this kind of energy produced through the consumption of calories that allows the body to move at all. Without ATP energy, you would not be able to blink an eye, let alone lift a dumbbell!
The body derives this energy using different metabolic mechanisms. In all, there are three energy systems responsible for the production of all the ATP energy the body may need. These are the Phosphagen system, glycolosis, and the oxidative system. Each of these systems is being utilized to some degree at every point of every day. However, depending on your activity (energy requirements), the body may shift its primary dependence on one particular system.
What is Creatine answers When does the body use Creatine?
For activities lasting less than 5 minutes, the phosphagen system is primary. This system provides for quicker replenishment of ATP than any other system. When beginning an intense activity, such as lifting weights, the body is put under extreme energy demands almost immediately. This demand is too great and too rapid to allow glycolosis to provide the ATP. If the body were to rely upon glycolosis at this time, it would ‘hit a brick wall’ after just a couple of sets. Luckily, the phosphagen system is made for just this kind of situation.
The phosphagen system is so quick and able to meet your intense energy needs because of one compound: Creatine. Creatine is an amazing compound that the body uses to actually recycle ATP energy! In many ways, this action is what makes the phosphagen system so great. Instead of relying upon the production of more ATP energy, the phosphagen system actually takes ADP (used ATP) and converts it back to ATP! This has many advantages including increased muscular contraction time, allowing you to work out harder before muscle failure.