Today I'm going to talk about the supplement called Creatine.
How it works:
Well the body has its own supply of natural Creatine. This Creatine is used to provide high intensity energy to the muscle cells around the body where its needed. It is produced by the liver and it travels around the body via the blood transport system.
Creatine is an nitrogenous (contains nitrogen) organic amino acid made up of three amino acids in total; L-Arganine, L-Methionine and Glycine.
How it affects gym performance:
Taking Creatine supplements essentially give your body a huge boost to the ability to create and expend muscular energy. For example; A sudden sprint for 10 meters will cause the liver to expel Creatine, which is then transported to the leg muscles used for the sprint. The muscles burn this energy at an explosive rate. It is usually burned up in about 10 seconds but the maximum potential of energy is there to use for the sprint. But if you have been taking Creatine at 5-10grams a day for 28 days, your muscles will have an extra 10-15% more Creatine to burn as energy in short, high intensity bursts. So you could probably sprint an extra 10 meters before lactic acid kicks in.
In short, Creatine supplements allow you to train for longer at a higher intensity after taking it for a number of days.
Correct ways to take it;
There are many suggestions for correct dosage and justifications for them. Here's one example from the website Bodybuilding.com going off body weight;
Recommended dosages are as follows:
- Less than or equal to 140lbs = 5-6grams per day is maintenance
- 141lbs to 168lbs = 6-7.5 grams per day is maintenance
- 169lbs to 199lbs = 8 grams per day is maintenance
- 200lbs to 242lbs = 8-10 grams per day is maintenance
- 242lb+ = 10-12 grams per day
Side effects?
Some of the side effects are;
-Stomach Pain
-Nausea
-Muscle Cramping (more because of a harder workout than usual)
-Diarrhoea
I have personally used Creatine powders and unfortunately come across a couple of side effects. Through personal trial and error of brands and types I would recommend taking a PH Balanced Creatine powder or Creatine Capsule. They tend to be nicer to the body.
What activity would be best for taking Creatine;
Creatine would be used best in any high-intensity sport or activity where huge amounts of muscular energy would be needed. Although Creatine is more popular for gym goers, Olympic athletes have been known to take this supplement. Its not illegal in sports since a lot of personal effort and will power is still required.
Many age groups supplement their bodies with Creatine over a long period of time for the best results. You cant really tell its working because it only assists in small amounts from the start. Taking it over a longer period of time will yield more noticeable energy burst lengths.
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