Creatine, types of creatine, everything about creatines. Creatine - side effects, harm and benefits on the human body Why does creatine work

It is considered the safest sports nutrition supplement. A lot of positive qualities and effects are attributed to this compound. However, under certain circumstances, creatine can still cause harm to health.

Before you start taking the drug, you should understand what creatine is and learn about its contraindications and side effects.

Side effects of creatine

The additive does not have irreversible harmful effects. Adverse reactions that are temporary occur in 4% of athletes. The drug has undergone many studies, including using high dosages. The experimental subjects showed no violations during the experiment.

In most cases, side effects do not occur due to creatine itself, but due to the auxiliary elements included in the supplements. But even the substance in its “pure” form can cause undesirable reactions - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the athlete’s body.

Fluid retention

This phenomenon cannot be called a side effect in the truest sense of the term. This is compensation that restores the alkaline balance. It occurs in almost every athlete who takes creatine. However, this is not visually noticeable.

You should not take diuretics or reduce your fluid intake to prevent water retention. This will lead to adverse consequences. Moreover, many trainers advise increasing the daily water intake.

Dehydration

Creatine saturates muscle tissue, but the body itself experiences dehydration. Problems arise with metabolic processes, acid-base balance, and thermoregulation. To avoid pathological phenomena, you need to consume at least 3 liters of liquid per day.

In bodybuilding, they sometimes use a dangerous cutting scheme: they take creatine with diuretics and stimulants. This technique causes significant harm.

Digestion

From the gastrointestinal tract, nausea and problems with stool may occur. The stomach often hurts. This occurs due to poor dissolution of creatine crystals that have not undergone the necessary purification. However, now the quality of the supplements produced is monitored especially carefully, and such side effects are extremely rare.

Muscle spasms

The belief that creatine causes spasms and cramps is wrong. Such symptoms do occur when taking a sports supplement, but they are due to other reasons. Involuntary muscle contraction occurs as a result of dehydration. This may also be a restorative reaction during rest: the phenomenon often occurs after intense physical activity.

Skin problems

When taking creatine, acne occasionally appears. Typically, the formation of acne is caused by an increase in testosterone production, and this, albeit indirectly, affects the intensive gain of muscle mass and can be considered a good indicator.

Many experts are convinced that the appearance of acne has nothing to do with taking creatine - it’s just a matter of intense training and changes in hormonal levels.

Impact on organs

Creatine does not have any adverse effects on healthy kidneys, but the substance can aggravate diseases of these organs, in particular, kidney failure (this has not been scientifically proven).

Creatine is a naturally synthesized substance. It is necessary to take it, since the amount that the body produces itself is most often not enough to gain muscle mass.

The only desirable side effect

A positive side effect of creatine is an increase in muscle mass from 0.9 to 1.7 kg. There are two assumptions why this effect is observed:

• the substance retains fluid in the muscles;
• muscle mass itself grows.

Scientists do not agree on this either. Some believe that the side effect is due to two factors.

Men and creatine

There is an opinion that creatine has a bad effect on the male reproductive system, which forces many to refuse to take supplements. This myth is the result of bitter experience using hormone-based products. They did cause sexual dysfunction. Studies conducted on creatine have not revealed a connection between the substance and potency. Therefore, fears are absolutely unjustified. However, it is not recommended to use the supplement without consulting a trainer and doctor.

When taking the supplement, strictly follow the instructions for use. Do not exceed the prescribed dosage. Buy the drug only in specialized stores.

False side effects

Creatine does not affect the genitourinary system. It also does not have the following side effects attributed to it:

• does not increase intravenous pressure;
• does not have a carcinogenic effect;
• does not put unbearable stress on the heart;
• does not cause addiction.

The gained muscle mass is retained by 70-80%. The remaining percentage is excreted with excess fluid.

Benefit

• reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol;
• promotes rapid recovery of muscle tissue after intense growth and intense physical activity;
• helps with atrophic changes and weakness of the muscle corset;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• helps build muscle mass;
• improves brain activity;
• restores hair.

Despite the many beneficial properties, you should not abuse the supplement.

Abuse

Cases of overdose of the substance have not yet been identified.

If the drug is abused, the excess is eliminated from the body on its own. Cretin is excreted by the kidneys along with excess fluid.

Contraindications

The sports supplement has a number of contraindications:

• substance intolerance;
• elderly age;
• severe diseases of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract of a chronic nature;
• bronchial asthma;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• minor age (adversely affects the formation and development of the body, impairs the activity of the myocardium and endocrine system).

To minimize the likelihood of adverse reactions, follow these recommendations:

1. If you are prone to allergies, before use, visit a specialist and get tested for compatibility.
2. Please read the packaging carefully before purchasing. If the ingredients contain a component that can provoke an allergic reaction, you should refuse the purchase.
3. Do not use in combination with antihistamines. If an allergy occurs, you must stop taking creatine and visit the hospital.

There is an opinion that a biological additive is addictive (the same as psychotropic substances), but this is not the case. With prolonged use, a habit forms. However, it has nothing in common with drug addiction. The body simply stops synthesizing creatine on its own.

Monohydrate is an artificial drug used by athletes. Excess can cause poor health, including nausea. This is the conclusion reached by people who take the supplement, but do it thoughtlessly. Let's find out - does creatine have side effects? Analysis of the effect of the drug and identification or absence of negative effects from creatine is the work of scientific centers.
A study was conducted not long ago. People were given a certain amount of monohydrate every day for 5 days. Then the amount was reduced and continued to be given for about 6 weeks. There were no negative impacts. The result was a conclusion where even oversaturation with this additive does not have an obvious negative result.

Creatin is a safe replacement for doping drugs. It is the best nutritional supplement and has beneficial properties. This is confirmed by reviews from bodybuilders and professional athletes.

Amino acids have different effects. A number of clients of sports clubs note that its use did not have any adverse effects on their health.
Any doctor will tell you that everything is quite individual.
Nutritional supplements can have a negative impact on health due to unreasonable use and unauthorized increase in the permissible dose.
The following side effects are identified:

1. You will start using creatine. There is a possibility of fluid retention in the body. May lead to excessive swelling;
2. There are examples of gastrointestinal disorders. Remember! You cannot take the drug on an empty stomach;
3. Problems for professional athletes. They often use monohydrate as a supplement. They become addicted to the drug;
4. Excessive consumption leads to diseases affecting the kidneys.
5. There may be slight cramps at night. There is no need to be scared, just drink a glass of water before going to bed.

Each of the side effects presented may turn out to be a myth for you.
Experiments show that creatine does not cause deterioration in kidney function.
The danger is associated only with poor blood circulation by the kidneys. Contraindicated for people with problems of this organ.
Some evidence suggests that there are side effects affecting the stomach. 8% of people note this fact.
The main misconception is related to creatine's ability to cause dehydration. The drug must be taken knowing the state of your health and not abuse it. May create conditions for fluid retention. Maintains normal hydration levels.

Contraindications for use

Doctors and scientists have studied the effects of creatine monohydrate levels on health. In their opinion, dosages higher than normal do not have a negative effect. Important information is collected for those whose health is not considered full. Many people have individual intolerance to the components of the monohydrate.
At the molecular level, it is light in weight and size, so it is quickly eliminated from the body, provided that the kidneys are functioning well. Contraindicated in citizens with renal failure.

This product should be used with extreme caution by those who belong to the following risk groups:

• women during pregnancy and lactation;
• citizens with breathing and lung problems (asthma, etc.);
• minor children (the volume of the drug is calculated specifically for each child. The data is assessed by a doctor and a decision is made on prescribing the supplement);
• persons with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2

Impact and influence on the body

There are many studies on the effects of creatine. The work is aimed at searching and systematizing beneficial effects.

Firstly, with constant physical activity, as well as adherence to the principles and basics of nutrition, this is the basis for gaining muscle mass ranging from several to 4 kilograms. A similar effect occurs within a month of use.

Secondly, after high-intensity training, muscles need to be fueled with ATP molecules. They are related to the level of energy release. The drug acts as a source of phosphocreatine. Increases muscle strength.

Thirdly, the amino acid increases the water level in the muscle cell. Due to this, the muscles look more voluminous. Cells grow along with hydration - protein synthesis occurs and its breakdown is reduced. It has a positive effect on the growth of muscle mass and changes in their relief. The athlete is actively training. His muscles fill with lactic acid. It slows down their recovery. It is the monohydrate that reduces acid production and promotes rapid muscle recovery. Muscles will grow faster if you increase the load. There are three ways:

1. Increasing training intensity;
2. Increasing frequency;
3. Increased duration

Let's talk about the brain. Creatine is contained in it with maximum concentration. Taking the amino acid can cure depression, cognitive disorders, and neurological diseases.
The effect of creatine on bones has been studied. When consumed, the density of the femur is significantly reduced - leading to a strengthening of the skeleton.
Able to have a positive effect on well-being. 80% of respondents noted an improvement in the general condition of the body, 20% took a placebo.
Many other positive effects from the use of artificially derived monohydrate should be highlighted:

• - has protective functions aimed at maintaining the central nervous system during a lack of oxygen;
• - reduces cholesterol;
• - has the function of preventing muscle atrophy;
• - a remedy against tissue inflammation;
• - accumulated by the body.

Harm

Many people who lack knowledge about nutritional supplements consider monohydrate a source of danger to the liver and stomach. Its use may affect their normal functioning.
Doctors note that creatine does not accumulate in the liver. Thus, there is no impact on it. In the case of the gastrointestinal tract, like any drug, it affects it. Only in situations where it is consumed in an unrefined form and of dubious origin, the harm of creatine on the body will be extreme. If you drink plenty of water, there will be no stomach problems. Those preparing for competitions do not need to worry about whether it is considered doping. That is, the use of this drug will not have a negative impact on the results of competitions from doping campaigns.

The myth about the harmful effects of creatine on male sexual function, erection, is a misconception. Vegetable creatine is found in percentages in foods. They do not negatively affect potency. This is an artificially derived supplement and does not affect men's health.

The effect of the supplement is temporary. While you drink, your strength increases, your muscle volume increases due to swelling.

Overdose

Each of us wants to get an ideal body in the shortest possible time. Professional athletes have a secret - using creatine in their diet as a nutritional supplement.

If this substance is regularly introduced into the body, it has an effect on the rapid gain of muscle mass. The drug suppresses the production of lactic acid and serves as a catalyst in muscle recovery after long workouts.

This drug should be used thoughtlessly with caution. Its overdose leads to addiction on the part of the body. In this case, independent production ends. With constant use, dependence on the substance occurs, since cessation of use leads the muscles to their original state.
Also, with extensive use of the supplement, signs of improper functioning of the heart muscle appear. As soon as you feel unwell, you must stop taking it. You should drink plenty of water to maintain fluid balance in the body.

Consequences of taking

Let's consider the situation. The athlete consumes the supplement in the correct proportions and actively trains. The result of the work is good results in gaining muscle mass and increasing the body's endurance. Sports activities become longer.

Scientists have confirmed that vegetarians (vegans) need to drink the substance (there is no supply of creatine in its pure form).
Scientists have long concluded that using it as a supplement grows “lean” muscles, without containing fat. It also has a positive effect on the training process, strength indicators, muscle recovery rate, and leads to weight loss.

The consequences of taking the supplement after discontinuation do not lead to a decrease in the results achieved. Only minor weight loss may be observed due to the removal of excess fluid. If you drink creatine, take breaks of 1-2 months. From such a rest you will not have to worry about the possible harm of the drug.

The use of the supplement is useful outside of professional sports. Improvement in people's health (lower blood glucose) is taken into account.
Low cost and positive reviews are a new way of self-improvement. Be careful - listen to your body, and remember: Sports nutrition is a guide to a great figure!

Many sports dietary supplements do not contain something essential. So is creatine. This supplement has proven effectiveness, but it may well be synthesized in the body. We get creatine phosphate from amino acids, that is, with a sufficient amount of protein food. If there is a protein deficiency, the supplement will solve the problem of insufficient creatine. The overall goal of its use is to increase strength and training output. Creatine is used in bodybuilding, crossfit, powerlifting and general amateur fitness. It is suitable for men and women, and can be used during adolescence. This is a supplement without side effects for a healthy person. But many trainers believe that its use is not necessary. Why is this happening?

Creatine phosphate is a derivative of amino acids. It is mistakenly called an amino acid, although from a chemical point of view it is a metabolite.

To synthesize creatine, our body uses:

• Methionine;
• Glycine;
• Arginine

That is, technically, it is enough to simply eat protein foods, and the body itself will “make” the required portion of creatine to maintain the contractile activity of muscle fibers.

Interesting fact: foreign athletes massively prefer wild fish and farm beef. The reason is simple - the meat of trained animals contains about 20% more creatine and amino acids. But poultry, conventionally produced veal and farmed fish are “weak” options for replenishing creatine reserves.

Why should we take creatine if we already have to eat large amounts of meat in order to stay strong and beautiful? Creatine phosphate has been repeatedly recognized as a revolutionary supplement in sports nutrition. It's simple. Heat treatment of meat and fish leads to the reverse breakdown of the substance into amino acids. Thus, the body has to synthesize creatine again from amino acids. All this does not allow us to consider meat the optimal product for obtaining creatine phosphate.

In addition, the less heat treatment, the more creatine the meat contains. Few people are ready to eat raw fish and rare steaks every day. And it is not safe for digestion.

Unlike other protein metabolism derivatives, creatine is difficult to obtain from food. Only a person who consumes about 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight has a chance. Agree, there are not many of these among non-professional athletes. Therefore, even for the purposes of regular fitness, it makes sense to take creatine separately, as an additional food supplement.

Creatine is hardly metabolized in the body when taken as a supplement. It goes straight to the muscles and is stored there. The average athlete can store up to 450 g of creatine phosphate per month. How much do you need for active training? Various sources give figures of up to 20-30 g per day. For ordinary people - about 5-8 g. At the same time, the average dosage of creatine announced by companies selling sports nutrition is about 5 g.

Even theoretically, it is impossible to obtain such an amount of creatine from food. You need to eat several kilograms of meat per day. This will quickly lead to failure of the digestive system.

Is creatine needed for normal body function? Modern sources on sports medicine classify it as an essential substance. Creatine affects the following processes in the body:

• "Mobility" of cholesterol. This term refers to the ability to remove “bad” cholesterol and transport “good” cholesterol. Creatine affects the health of the cardiovascular system and can indirectly be considered a means of preventing high blood pressure;
• Increased lactate threshold. The lactate threshold is the body's ability to resist the effects of lactic acid. If you consume creatine, the body's performance will increase due to;
• Fluid retention and binding. This effect applies only to the muscles, and causes a pump during training, and a more “full” appearance after it;
• Improving oxygen supply to white muscle fibers, and, accordingly, improving their performance;
• Improves overall performance during training through fluid retention and improved angles.

Contrary to popular belief, creatine does not help “heal joints” or “fill” them with joint fluid. It only improves metabolic parameters, but does not affect joint health.

Creatine supplements are popular in strength sports. Indeed, this is a godsend for a bodybuilder who likes bulky muscles and just wants to look big. There is an opinion among bodybuilders that creatine can be used constantly while bulking, and at the very beginning of cutting, too, in order to maintain the speed of metabolic reactions.

But athletes who need to stay within a weight class are not very fond of creatine. It is known from practice that with the help of creatine supplements you can gain 2-3 kg of weight. Again, after stopping creatine, this weight quickly disappears, but many people don’t like the idea of ​​gaining weight, so they are against creatine supplements.

In strength sports and bodybuilding, creatine promotes:

1. Rapid muscle pumping, this is especially noticeable when taken together with arginine;
2. Mass growth;
3. When used together with selective androgen receptor modulators – acceleration of anabolic processes and a significant increase in strength;
4. When used “solo” - an increase in strength indicators for the duration of use;
5. Overcoming the “power plateau”;
6. Accelerating metabolism by gaining muscle mass;
7. Increasing the efficiency of the heart;
8. Glycogen binding and more efficient muscle function;

You can find information that creatine increases performance by 35%, which contributes to both strength and endurance. Moreover, the effects of creatine are not directly anabolic and therefore do not affect the athlete’s hormonal system.

It works indirectly. Creatine retains water, muscles plump up faster. This requires more oxygen consumption, improves blood circulation and muscle nutrition. As a result, a person breaks through a strength plateau. It turns out that the pumping effect helps to overcome a strength plateau and a plateau in endurance due to creatine.

Muscle pumping itself promotes:

• Increased oxygen supply;
• Glycogen retention

Creatine thus helps indirectly increase strength endurance. The normal effect of taking it is that the athlete learns to overcome heavy loads in a multi-repetition mode. Thus, working weights can increase from 50% to 60-70 of 1 RM in basic exercises. Over time, this leads to an increase in the athlete’s fitness and strength indicators.

Conclusion: creatine does not affect the human hormonal system. It is also not a selective androgen receptor modulator. It simply promotes the retention of glycogen and water in the muscles, which mechanically increases their performance. Creatine helps you become stronger and more resilient, but all this happens with an increase in the athlete's own weight.

"Filling" with water

Many bodybuilders specifically drink salty mineral water and increase the salt content in their diet during the off-season. This should promote greater endurance and strength, and serve as a means of injury prevention. Creatine works in much the same way. Its “mission” is to retain water. In the offseason, this could be promising in terms of injury prevention.

Important: “filling with water” also improves the biomechanical characteristics of the muscles, and therefore serves as a good way to prevent injuries resulting from poor technique.

“Filling” can also have side effects. It is a common cause of cramps, as an imbalance of mineral salts and water is created in the body. When performing heavy approaches in this condition, the athlete should always use the help of a spotter. The problem with cramps is solved by additional consumption of potassium and magnesium, but this also leads to a slight decrease in the amount of water in the muscles.

Increasing the amount of fluid in the muscles is considered beneficial, but it must be borne in mind that this point is not suitable for those who have problems with kidney health and high blood pressure.

So, creatine starts the process of increasing the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles. With adequate training loads, its use will also contribute to the growth of muscle mass. Creatine “gains mass” only when all conditions for normal protein synthesis are present. The athlete must eat normally and recover. Otherwise, creatine will be a useless supplement. These are not anabolic steroids to correct lack of regimen, lack of nutrition and too heavy, incorrectly selected training programs.

The work of creatine can be schematically represented as follows:

• When loading it in the muscles, fluid retention also occurs;
• A muscle pump leads to increased oxygen consumption and increased blood circulation;
• Amino acids that enter the body through nutrition are used for muscle growth;
• Anabolic processes are also supported by the partial resynthesis of creatine into amino acids;
• When increasing strength indicators, this scheme works better

So, creatine really helps you recover faster and build muscle. What about other sports indicators?

This substance is deservedly “disliked” by beginners who became acquainted with the phenomenon of creatine withdrawal too early. What it is? Over time, the substance accumulates in tissues, and all metabolic processes are concentrated on its removal. The body stops accepting creatine and simply tries to get rid of its excess. There is no point in drinking more. The athlete must stop taking it.

When you stop taking creatine, the following happens:

1. The substance accumulated in the muscles is removed from the body;
2. The liquid retained by it is “drained”;
3. The body no longer looks the same - the muscles become flatter;
4. Endurance indicators drop;
5. Pumping disappears

Important: Recovery from creatine is never complete. If you compare dry mass indicators before and after a course of creatine, they will differ.

It is advisable to cycle creatine intake according to your training plan. That is, when an athlete reaches the peak of strength, creatine supports his efforts. Then, when the reception stops, the athlete reduces the volume and intensity of the load and rests.

Creatine and bone density

Athletes supplementing with calcium and D3 may benefit from taking creatine. It serves as an indirect transport of these substances, which means that with its intake the bones are also strengthened.

Bone density is a value that depends on the athlete’s muscle mass. If muscles grow at a fairly slow, physiologically natural rate, as happens with creatine, the athlete receives stronger bones in addition to improved body quality. This allows him to be more protected from injury.

Creatine supplementation is therefore advisable in sports where there is a high level of impact and injury. There he is adjusted to the off-season, in which the athlete is engaged in general physical training.

Some athletes practice taking creatine while cutting. But this applies to those who have already completed several cycles of it and have a fairly small percentage of body fat. Such athletes do not need to significantly deplete glycogen stores, and they remove carbohydrates significantly only in the last weeks of cutting. Creatine helps them protect themselves from injuries, since in this case high-intensity training is used during cutting.

Most people do not use creatine when cutting. They immediately begin to practice a low-carb diet, and combining creatine with it is unproductive.

1. Creatine retains glycogen in muscles.
2. When cutting, the goal of the diet is to deplete glycogen reserves so that the body begins to burn fat.
3. Creatine slows down this process.
4. The additive retains water. It is impossible to assess the athlete's physique. This leads to irregularities, mistakes, and suboptimal nutrition and training plans.
5. Creatine can contribute to the occurrence of cramps, since the water-salt balance during drying is disturbed.
6. In the final stages, the supplement can become the reason why “water does not drain”, since creatine retains water, and the athlete, on the contrary, strives to get rid of it.

But when losing weight in strength sports, creatine can be used. Let's say the preparation for the competition lasts 4 weeks. 2 of them, the athlete follows a diet with a slight calorie deficit and takes creatine. Before the start, the supplement is removed, which gives “minus 2 kg” at the weigh-in, and before the competition itself, a loading dose of creatine is taken to increase performance. This weight loss scheme is quite widespread.

Regular herring contains 26% creatine phosphate. It can be considered a good source, but only with heat treatment its beneficial properties are reduced, and it turns out that the athlete receives even less creatine. In fact, without sports nutrition products, it will not be possible to obtain normal dosages of creatine sufficient to solve the problems of building a body. Therefore, you should either admit that sports nutrition sometimes makes sense, or abandon the idea of ​​“breaking through a plateau” with creatine.

Amount of creatine monohydrate in food (grams per kilogram of pure product)
Product	Creatine (g/kg)	Percentage of daily dose for an athlete
Herring	8	26%
Pork	5	16.5%
Beef	4.5	15%
Salmon	4.5	15%
Milk	0.1	0.30%
Vegetables fruits		0.01%
Nuts		0.01%

Indeed, to obtain creatine you will have to eat 4 kg of herring. And if someone is capable of such a feat, then he should know that the fish will have to be chewed raw, since cooked fish will contain even less creatine. The conclusion suggests itself - either put up with sports nutrition, or use other means of building muscle mass and recovery.

Side effects of taking

Creatine has been used in the sports nutrition market for more than 30 years. During this time, no serious problems associated with its use were identified. From the first examples back in 1996 to today's advanced forms of cre-alkaline, it is a relatively safe supplement.

However, discomfort may still occur when using it:

• The gastrointestinal tract may “rebel” during loading. This is due to a short-term local disturbance of the water-salt balance and tissue dehydration;
• Cramps due to electrolyte deficiency. They can be easily prevented by supplementing with electrolytes;
• Swelling of the face;
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency

You should not start taking creatine if you have kidney problems. Otherwise, it is a safe supplement. Side effects are closely related to the beneficial properties and mechanism of creatine, so it is not possible to completely get rid of them.

Taking creatine may affect your heart health. If an athlete practices loading, or simply consumes quite a lot of creatine, his heart may experience increased stress. Lactate buffering helps increase heart rate and strength. This can lead to tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbances, and even muscle microtrauma.

Important: the fast loading scheme has a greater impact on the heart. Sometimes it is recommended that if there is a high degree of risk, simply refrain from loading creatine, and take it exclusively at an even background.

There are two options for taking creatine. You can drink it with a load, or you can drink it without it. Proponents of the first format believe that this way the supplement starts working faster, and you can get benefits from using it almost immediately. The second option is milder in terms of side effects and prevents the body from retaining too much water or suffering from excess creatine. But the athlete will only feel the effect of the supplement for 2-3 weeks.

Loading involves consuming 20 g of pure creatine per day. This indicator does not depend on the athlete’s own weight. Loading increases supplement consumption quite significantly and may be too costly for some athletes.

In this case it is accepted as follows:

• 10 g in the morning, immediately after 1 meal, with sweet juice;
• 2 hours before training – about 7 g;
• In the evening after dinner - the remaining 13 g
• In all cases, creatine is drunk with sweet juice or water.

Once the peak is reached, and this becomes visible in muscle fullness and tolerance to training, it will be possible to reduce the dosage to maintenance. This is 5-6 g of creatine per day. The maximum duration of taking the supplement is 8 training weeks, then for a couple of days the dosage is reduced to 2-3 g, and then the creatine is completely “turned off”. How much rest do you need? There is no clear opinion on this matter. Athletes usually adjust the intake of such supplements to their “massing” and “cutting” cycles. Standard cutting lasts about 8 weeks, eliminating creatine for 12 weeks will help achieve the goal of reducing body fat.

The regimen for taking creatine without loading is simple. 5-6 grams before training, with sweet juice or any sweetened drink, 2.5 grams before and after training, no special benefits.

Note: Cre-alkaline has a different loading pattern. You need to follow the manufacturer's instructions, which we see on the packaging.

Top Creatine Phosphate Supplements

Creatine can be found in all brands of sports nutrition:

• Optimum newtrition;
• Ultra;
• Biotech, Dimatize, others

Domestic sports nutrition manufacturers are not lagging behind, and each offers us their own versions of creatine.

Manufacturer brands more or less cope with the task of supplying high-quality creatine. This supplement is difficult to spoil, so it makes sense to consider only the types of creatine

Creatine monohydrate. It loads quickly, as you can consume up to 50 g of creatine per day. It is well absorbed by the body, does not contain any impurities or additives, and is easy to use.

Creatine phosphate. This is a cheaper supplement with lower bioavailability. Therefore, you need to exceed the dosage recommended by the manufacturer by about a quarter so that the body absorbs all the creatine provided.

Creatine with transport system. An option for those who don’t want to waste time searching for sweet juices and drink a lot of tea. It is convenient to stir it and drink it before training to satisfy the body's need for creatine. Usually creatine with transport is the most expensive, so for loading they take regular one, and this one they simply drink before training to reduce the time spent on taking supplements.

Creatine hydrochloride. This is an innovative product from Biotech, designed to provide all the benefits of creatine without flooding the body with water. Designed for those who want to maintain a drier, more toned appearance. In fact, creatine hydrochloride does not have any proven advantages over monohydrate, so you should decide for yourself whether to purchase it or not.

Interesting fact: Creatine is often added to industrially produced gainers. There are also special products containing caffeine, carnitine and creatine. They are designed to help those who have problems gaining weight gain muscle mass. Creatine promotes the retention of glycogen and water in the muscles, its use helps to quickly gain weight. But as soon as you stop taking the gainer, the “water” will drain away.

Learn about creatine, how it works, where it comes from, how it is used and much more!

What is creatine?

is a nutrient naturally present in our body. This is a combination of 3 amino acids - glycine and methionine. Creatine helps provide muscles with the energy they need to move, especially fast, intense movements. Muscle contraction mainly occurs due to energy (adenosine triphosphate).

There is enough ATP to supply muscles with energy for just 10 seconds. In order for this system to continue working, more ATP is needed. Creatine phosphate donates its phosphate groups to the ADP (adenosine diphosphate) molecule, thus restoring ATP. The increased supply of creatine phosphate to muscles helps increase the rate at which the body can synthesize ATP molecules.

This process improves the muscles' ability to perform work and makes energy consumption more efficient. Research shows that creatine helps increase workout intensity and subsequent recovery. It is able to pass through the wall of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach) and enter the bloodstream unchanged, and then, when entering muscle fibers, it is converted into creatine phosphate (CP).

What is creatine phosphate?

Creatine phosphate is an organic substance present in muscle fibers, which is broken down into fractions by enzymes for the subsequent synthesis of ATP.

What is adenosine triphosphate (ATP)?

ATP is an organic substance found in muscles that, when broken down enzymatically, provides energy for muscle contraction. Creatine increases your body's ability to synthesize protein in muscle fibers, which helps increase muscle mass. (Creatine enhances cellular hydration. Containing sufficient water, muscle cells become more permeable, allowing more amino acids to penetrate into them.) Increased production of contractile proteins (actin and myosin) enhances the muscle's ability to perform physical activity. To summarize, creatine helps you perform more reps at your chosen weight.

This will increase the time of muscle tension, and thus the number of muscle fibers recruited will increase, which in turn will increase the number of muscle cells stimulated. Additionally, this process will cause your body to stop using another energy-producing system called glycolysis, which produces lactic acid as a byproduct. Lactic acid causes the burning sensation felt during exercise.

Does this mean I can lift more weight or run faster?

Indirectly, YES! Directly - POSSIBLE! Creatine doesn't make YOU stronger or faster, YOU make YOURSELF stronger or faster. Creatine allows you to train more intensely and recover faster.

If you recover better, you'll be in a fresher, more rested state before you start your next set, and as a result, you'll get more benefit from those workouts than you otherwise would have. Let's look at the bench press as an example: before taking creatine, our athlete, let's call him “Maximus,” did 4 sets of bench presses.

His goal was to train with a weight of 100 kg for 4 sets of 8 reps each, but he usually did sets of 8, 8, 6 and 4 reps, respectively. By the 3rd and 4th sets, his muscles were already fatigued, and as a result he was unable to achieve his goal. If Maximus starts taking creatine, he will likely notice an improvement in recovery significant enough to complete his goal of doing 4 sets of 8 reps each.

Further, if Maximus continues to take creatine, eat right, and train hard at an intense level for 12-16 weeks, he will be able to increase the weight used on the bench press to 110 kg for 4 sets of 8 reps each. At the end of the day, remember – you must exercise accordingly! Use creatine to progress rather than stagnate.

What are the natural sources of creatine?

You're probably asking, "Why do I need creatine when it's already naturally present in my body?" Well, the reason is that most people only get 1g of creatine per day from food.

This, along with another gram synthesized endogenously, adds up to a relatively paltry 2g of creatine per day. If you eat a lot of red meat, you shouldn't expect exceptional results from taking a creatine supplement (400 g of beef contains approximately 2 g of creatine, and the same amount of herring - 4.6 g. More than 2 g of creatine is contained in 400 g of most types fish).

Vegetarians will notice the maximum results in this case. Vegetarians synthesize this substance in the same way as their “carnivorous” counterparts; They rarely replenish their muscle creatine stores to capacity because they avoid eating nutrient-dense foods like beef.

This is why they respond very well to creatine. Creatine supplements are suitable even for vegans because the product is synthetic and not made from animal materials.

Can creatine have toxic effects if used for a long time?

To tell the truth, no one knows. Although our bodies only produce 1-2 grams per day, chances are your body can handle 5 grams or more per day. Anyone weighing more than 90 kg can take 10 g without fear for their health, provided that they drink enough fluids (to avoid cramps). Some athletes have been taking up to 20-30 grams of creatine per day since it became widely available in 1990.

Is creatine safe?

Yes, creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the human and animal body. The human body contains 100-115 g of creatine in the form of creatine phosphate. Studies have shown no side effects from taking creatine when taking recommended doses.

Are there any side effects of taking creatine?

Creatine is so effective in delivering water to the intramuscular space that it can cause side effects associated with muscle spasms. This usually occurs when too little water is consumed while taking creatine.

Muscle cramps, tension and tears are all anecdotal stories that are not supported by scientific facts. Creatine removes water from your internal organs, so if you take large amounts without water, mild stomach cramps may occur.

How to avoid this? Simply drink 0.5 liters of water with each dose. Water is very important to an athlete's health, and most of us don't drink enough water. Ideally, we should drink 2-2.5 liters of water per day. This will only bring benefits, and will also allow you to get better results from taking creatine monohydrate. Additional water helps maximize the effects of this substance.

When is the best time to take creatine?

For best results on training days, take creatine after exercise. This will not cause nausea and, in addition, will best replenish spent reserves. If you want to take more on a training day (i.e., 10g), take half the dose before training and the other half after.

How much creatine should I take?

• ≤ 63 kg = 5-6 g per day to maintain shape
• 63-75 kg = 6-7.5 g per day to maintain shape
• 75-90 kg = 8 g per day to maintain shape
• 90-109 kg = 8-10 g per day to maintain shape
• > 109 kg = 10-12 g per day

Ways to take creatine

You can find many different recommendations on how to take creatine. Studies have shown that your cells are 60% better at absorbing creatine when you combine it with a monosaccharide base such as grape juice (rich in natural glucose).

A rise in insulin levels will facilitate the penetration of creatine into cells. Never take creatine with orange juice! It easily negates all the positive effects due to increased acidity.

This topic is currently a matter of debate, but perhaps the best way is to take creatine monohydrate with warm water; if necessary you can add . If you are prone to stomach upset, cranberry juice is recommended to ease the discomfort.

• Creatine compounds. The theory tells us that in order to get the maximum benefit from taking creatine, you need to take it with simple carbohydrates. The idea is that this will cause a rise in insulin levels, which will cause creatine monohydrate to quickly move into your muscles. The main ingredients of all transport compounds are creatine and dextrose. If we take an imaginary container with 1000 g of such a substance, then it will contain 200 g of creatine and 800 g of dextrose. Some will be represented by other substances such as etc., but frankly speaking, they are not enough to significantly change the picture.
• Why use "transport" connections? In today's fast moving world, this is just for your convenience. The price of such drugs is higher, but any convenience, be it food or drink, always costs more!
• How much do they cost? Containers weighing 1 kg are sold in stores for prices ranging from $28 to $40. 40 dollars is just a joke. At most, 1 kg will last you a month.

Tip: You can buy these drugs if you want, but only use them on training days. On days when you are not training, take only regular creatine monohydrate (MC). If the idea is to deliver MK to the muscles, then probably the best time to take it is either before or during a workout.

Should I go through a high-volume creatine phase first?

No, this is not necessary. Taking just 3 grams of creatine per day for 28 days gives the same effect of saturating muscles with creatine as 6 days of supplementation. So, if you decide to take creatine, it will take you about a month to reach normal levels of creatine in your muscles.

Taking large doses of creatine, such as during the boost phase, does not inhibit the body's synthesis of this substance after you stop using it.

If I stop taking creatine, will I lose weight or muscle mass?

There is no reason to expect muscle loss. However, you will still lose a few pounds because creatine hydrates your cells, unlike sodium-induced bloating.

Does creatine cause water retention in your body?

No. Creatine absorbs water from the body to do its job. There is a difference between increasing cell volume due to water saturation and water retention. Increasing the volume of cells causes more water to be contained within them, making the muscle larger and harder. Water retention, the process that makes muscles appear smooth, occurs outside the muscle fibers.

How does creatine help muscles grow?

Creatine

To achieve increased natural muscle strength, increased tissue growth, or improved athletic performance, strength training is necessary. Muscle growth occurs when they perform increased workload. Without weight training, your muscles will remain small in volume.

Creatine promotes strength training by restoring the energy-carrying molecule ATP. Creatine also inhibits the formation of lactic acid, allowing you to train longer. As you know, lactic acid is one of the main causes of exercise-related muscle fatigue.

In the article below, we will try to explain in detail and in an accessible form to everyone: How to take creatine? Is it possible to take creatine while cutting, with gainer, protein and other sports nutrition? Numerous negative reviews about creatine make it clear that most athletes have no idea about the proper use of this excellent sports supplement. This is not surprising, considering how much misinformation and outright lies are around now, pursuing the only goal - to sell (preferably more and more expensively), and not at all to teach those who want to choose and use sports nutrition correctly. Take creatine the right way!

Creatine usually doesn't work because the vast majority of athletes don't know how to take it correctly. The very first reason for its ineffectiveness is the fact that if used incorrectly, it is very poorly absorbed (up to 20%), or more precisely, it does not penetrate the muscle fibers, passing through our body in transit. A good condition for the absorption of creatine is the transport system - insulin, which is easiest to raise in the blood with the help of carbohydrates. Oddly enough, this happens precisely thanks to simple carbohydrates, which are usually not recommended for athletes, especially on a diet (sugar, juice, sweets, etc.). It is the increased level of insulin in the blood, provoked by the consumption of carbohydrates, that will force you not just to “walk” aimlessly through the circulatory system, but to break into the muscle fibers to fulfill its role in the resynthesis of the ATP molecule.

Many people take creatine before training, although this intake does not provide any benefits, and, on the contrary, can only cause harm. This technique can cause nausea, as well as discomfort in the stomach, provoked by power loads. Creatine accumulates in the body, and it is better to take it immediately after training, in order to replenish the reserves of the creatine that you used during training, as well as throughout the day, regardless of whether there is a training session today or not.

The combination of creatine with sports nutrition has a positive effect on the results, and what’s more, they enhance each other’s effect. For example, it contains mainly more than 50% carbohydrates, which are what creatine needs for excellent absorption, so by combining these two additives you get a double result. You need to take them at the same time, just add creatine to the gainer. If the gainer contains creatine, look at how much of it is per 100 grams, and how much gainer you take at a time to calculate what your dosage of creatine is per serving. Basically, it is contained in gainers in approximately 1-2 grams, that is, half a teaspoon of creatine can be safely added.

Is it possible to mix creatine with protein? It is possible, although a serving of protein contains from 1 to 4 grams of carbohydrates, the amino acids in the composition serve as transport for creatine, especially in the first hour after training, when the body needs both protein and amino acids. And secondly, most proteins have excellent taste, which will brighten up the not very pleasant taste of creatine. I think these two reasons are enough to conclude that creatine and protein together can be consumed without any twinges of conscience. Regarding taking creatine with amino acids, as we understood above, you can also take it at the same time, because it is they that “transport” them to the muscles, and besides, there are plenty of manufacturers that immediately produce creatine with bcaa amino acids.

Creatine intake and dosage

Most of you probably know that a single serving of creatine for a person is 5 grams. Actually, creatine manufacturers do not hide this information on the packaging of their products either. Unfortunately, these same manufacturers do not always put a measuring scoop in the jars with their products. Therefore, answering another frequent question from our clients: “How much is 5 grams of creatine?” we can say that it is quite possible to do without a measuring scoop, After all, a standard serving of creatine (5 grams) is 1 teaspoon.

As for the number of servings per day, it completely depends on several things, such as:

• Nutrition (natural creatine is found in meat and fish (especially herring), so the more you consume such products, the less you need additional creatine intake);
• Workout (so, for example, the consumption of creatine during the training of a bodybuilder, crossfitter, and, say, a football player will be fundamentally different);
• Individual characteristics of the body .

Taking creatine is also quite an individual thing. For the most accurate calculation, we recommend starting your creatine intake with 2 servings per day (this is about 10 grams of creatine). At the same time, you need to record and determine whether your personal working weight is increasing (for example, in the bench press). Next, after a week or two of this intake, try taking 3 servings per day, after a week again look at the progress in working weight, if there is no progress, then you can return to 2 servings per day again, if there is progress, continue to increase the number of servings per day day and experiment, find exactly your creatine dosage, not your workout partner or trainer!

Creatine loading, pros and cons?

It has long been believed that the most important factor in creatine supplementation is the creatine loading phase, which involves consuming 4-6 standard 5 gram servings of creatine daily for 3-9 days. It was believed that such abundant consumption of the substance would completely fill the creatine pool in the body in a short time. So you took 20 grams of creatine per day for a week, and then 2 grams per day for a month to maintain that level. However, recent research makes it clear that, as such, the creatine loading phase is completely ineffective. In one independent study conducted in Sweden, subjects were divided into 2 groups. One took creatine according to the regimen described above, and the second took 3 grams of creatine daily for a month. As a result, although the second group of people received a much smaller portion of creatine, the total level of creatine in the muscles of both groups increased exactly the same, eventually reaching 20%.

As for the studies that speak about the advisability of the loading phase, all of them took place quite a long time ago and were focused on the near future. That is, what concentration of creatine in the muscles will be the result after a month was not taken into account in these studies. Moreover, there is a high probability that studies showing the need for a creatine loading phase were simply ordered by sports nutrition manufacturers, because such a technique for consuming creatine makes their product more in demand.

I would also like to add that, as we mentioned above, for each specific person the working dosage of creatine is selected individually. So, one athlete pampers himself with herring and meat every day, thereby receiving additional creatine from these products, while another eats less of such products, which means he needs additional creatine in the form of a sports supplement more. The main criterion for selecting your working dosage of creatine for all athletes remains an increase in working weight and endurance.

How to take creatine powder?

As you know, creatine is commercially available in several forms - capsule, tablet, and powder. In most cases, we give preference to the powder form, since powdered creatine has the best price in terms of dosage ratio, it is 2-3 times cheaper than capsule analogues. Another advantage of the powder form is the faster dissolution of creatine compared to other forms, because this way it enters the circulatory system much faster, which means it will act faster than a tablet or capsule, which will still require some time to dissolve. As we wrote above, most manufacturers put measuring scoops in their packaging, but even if they don’t have it, I think an ordinary teaspoon can be found in any kitchen.

Creatine can be dissolved in liquid, added to oatmeal during breakfast, or simply washed down. The only thing that should not be forgotten is that a sufficient amount of carbohydrates must be supplied to the body along with creatine. This is why we often recommend drinking it with grape juice or another sweet drink.

How to take creatine capsules?

As for the capsulated form of creatine, this version of this substance also exists. One of the most important aspects of the preference for this particular form of creatine is that encapsulated creatine begins to be absorbed not in the athlete’s stomach, but directly in the intestinal tract, which guarantees better absorption and functioning of the substance. In principle, it is easier to calculate a single serving of the substance in capsules, however, given that on average up to 500 mg is placed in a capsule, then to get 1 serving of creatine you will need to swallow at least 10 capsules at a time, which, as you understand, is much less convenient, than throwing a spoonful of creatine into porridge or gainer. By the way, the cost of powdered creatine is significantly less than that of capsulated creatine. That is why we consider the encapsulated form more as a kind of “travelling option”. After all, it is much easier to transport and use a capsule on the road than a powder.

Now many manufacturers have begun to produce so-called mega capsules, in which the dosage of creatine has been increased to 1000-1500 mg, but they are harder to swallow, but the quantity you need is not 20 pieces, but 3-5 at a time.

In any case, it doesn’t matter what form you prefer: creatine in tablets, capsules, powdered creatine, or even liquid, the main thing is to use it together with the transport system. By the way, one of the most ideal periods of time for taking creatine is rightly considered the first hour after an intense workout, since it is at this time that the metabolism of skeletal muscles is most susceptible to the absorption of creatine. Moreover, this time is ideal for the digestion of amino acids, which also serve as excellent transport for creatine in the body.

Creatine and water

Water is inextricably linked with creatine in almost all articles about this substance, mainly because the main, and in fact the only side effect of using creatine is water retention in the body. But let's figure out whether such a property can be called a side effect?!

Firstly, fluid retention caused by creatine is extremely insignificant, and occurs as the body’s compensation for osmotic imbalance caused by additional load on the kidneys. Secondly, you can only notice “excess liquid” by standing on the scale. In other words, no swelling is observed in a healthy body from taking creatine. And thirdly, all excess water will leave the body in a completely natural way as soon as the use of creatine stops.

As for the advantages of such a “side effect” as water retention in the body when consuming creatine, they undoubtedly exist. Thus, it is well known that our muscle fibers are essentially composed of water, so additional muscle hydration will never be superfluous. Secondly, thanks to excess fluid, muscle volume increases, although not significantly. This will allow you, through intensive training, to increase the actual volume of the muscle, so that after the excess water is gone, your muscle mass does not remain at the same level, but increases. By the way, this is facilitated by the fact that creatine increases the explosive power of the athlete, simultaneously with a decrease in the production of lactic acid, which allows you to increase the working weight and do the approach for a longer time.

Since we are talking about water, I would also like to say a few words about the amount of water athletes drink while taking creatine. Very often, athletes cut back on the amount of water they drink per day, thereby hoping to reduce the amount of fluid retained by the body. This is fundamentally wrong! By such actions you can only harm your health, further disrupting the already fragile balance of fluid and electrolytes in the body, and you also worsen the effect of creatine and its effectiveness, on the contrary, for maximum effect you need to consume about 4-5 liters of water when you take creatine. If you are so disgusted by the temporary fluid retention caused by creatine, then there is a fairly new form that is designed not to retain fluid in the body, and at the same time fulfill all the conditions stated in the usual monohydrate, such as increasing the strength and endurance of the body.

Taking a break from taking creatine

Numerous studies conducted with creatine show that it is harmless to the body, and most agree that it can be used on an ongoing basis, that is, without taking breaks. However, there are scientific works that prove the occurrence of down regulation of cellular transporters, which in theory can lead to a decrease in the susceptibility of muscle fibers to creatine. On average, this effect can be observed after about 2 months of regular use of the substance. From which it follows that for the normal functioning of the body and the absence of addiction, breaks in the use of creatine should be taken for 3-4 weeks, every 2 months of regular use. You can also take creatine for a month, in which case a break of 2 weeks will be enough.

FAQ:

Can I take creatine with water?

​
There is nothing wrong with taking creatine with water, the only thing to remember is that it is absorbed only through the transport system (carbohydrates). Therefore, when drinking creatine with water, do not forget to sweeten it. Add honey, jam, jam, or any other natural sweetener to it to taste, or just regular sugar that everyone has. On the one hand, thanks to carbohydrates, you can be sure that creatine will not just wander aimlessly through your body, but will actually work. On the other hand, by adding carbohydrates (even just regular sugar) yourself, you will be able to customize the taste of the drink to suit yourself, making it really tasty, and finally, you will be completely sure that there is nothing harmful in your creatine, such as artificial sweeteners that provoke cancer diseases (aspartame), as well as various preservatives and flavorings, which unscrupulous companies do not disdain, producing flavored protein that already contains carbohydrates. In general, it doesn’t really matter whether you diluted your portion of creatine in water or simply washed it down with water, if it enters the body through the transport system, it will act in any case.

Which creatine does not retain water?

This is a very popular question, and perhaps the most frequently asked, because there are many sports where the qualities of creatine would be very useful, but there is no way to use it due to the fact that even a few extra grams of added weight threatens to at least drop you from the desired weight. categories. It is for such cases that creatine hydrochloride was developed, which you can easily find by simply clicking on. This is the only form of creatine that does not retain fluid in the body, but retains all the positive effects claimed by creatine. In fact, in recent years, a great variety of different forms of creatine have been developed, with which the sports nutrition market is now full. However, not one of them, with the exception of the hydrochloride one, has yet received any scientific confirmation, therefore it is rightly considered by the majority of professional athletes to be another marketing ploy of manufacturers, and is not taken seriously.

Can creatine be taken with milk?

It is unknown why milk is considered a special product, but this question comes from every 3 of our clients. We hasten to reassure lovers of dairy products, take creatine with milk, just as you can dissolve it in it, nothing bad will happen to you from this (unless you suffer from intolerance to dairy products, of course). Creatine is a natural product found in meat and fish products, so I don’t think that drinking a chicken breast with a glass of milk will cause you any harm. Moreover, most sports drinks (gainers) are often mixed with milk for taste.