Is Creatine the best approach for Muscle Gain? Read to know more…
Today’s hectic lifestyle requires consistent work on our body strength. The increasing burden of work-life balance needs us to be mentally and physically fit.
This has led people to look for healthy and effective dietary supplements. One thing that has gained attention in recent years for muscle strength is creatine.
Creatine is a natural compound that provides us with energy for physical activities. Its supplements are popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
It is a nitrogenous organic acid synthesized in the liver and kidneys using Arginine, Glycine, and methionine. It is then stored in skeletal muscles as phosphocreatine – PCr.
This component helps the body during high-intensity activities acting as a rapid source of energy.
But how effective is it? Well, let us find out in our discussion today.
How Does Creatine Work to Build Muscle?
Among various other elements in the body, creatine exists in our muscles and works as fuel for them. It enhances muscle mass, increases strength, and improves physical performance.
Besides providing energy for heavy bodybuilding, creatine also supports the production of ATP. Adenosine triphosphate or ATP comes from carbohydrates and increases the energy supply of the body.
Furthermore, it provides us energy for numerous activities throughout the day and is thus a very important element in the body.
We now understand that the existence of creatine is crucial for various body functions, but its natural supply is limited.
The amount of creatine the body produces gets used up instantly during intense activities.
Its supply depletes faster than its production. So, the agenda of our discussion at hand is how to supplement this creatine supply. We will further delve into understanding this process better.
Health Benefits of Creatine
The powerful powder is a necessity for heavy workout activities. It is a much-needed element for heavy-weight lifters and sports persons. But as mentioned above, a regular supply needs to be maintained.
The benefits of creatine are still under study. Yet many people who use creatine as a supplement have good things to say about it. The important benefits attached to creatine are as follows-
#1. Adds Muscle Mass
As per studies, creatine is effective in building muscle mass. Aging tends to reduce the strength and mass of muscles. This can be increased by adding creatine supplementation to your diet.
Consuming creatine for 5-7 days shows a significant increase in muscle gain. Adding creatine to your diet further helps in growing muscle fibre further enhancing your gym performance.
A regular supply of creatine in the body thus keeps your muscle stronger and aids physical performance.
#2. Helps Muscle Cells in Energy Production
Creatine supplementation increases phosphocreatine present in muscles. This compound is the basic energy for all life functions.
With increased phosphocreatine, your body gets an increased supply of ATP allowing you to indulge in more workout hours.
#3. Increase in ATP Production
ATP or Adenosine triphosphate essential in bodybuilding is produced by creatine.
Regular replenishment of creatine boosts the production and storage of ATP in the body. We can maintain the store of creatine during high-intensity activities.
#4. Improves Performance Intensity
By producing ATP production creatine aids physical performance during rigorous exercises.
A Study confirms that it provides strength and muscle endurance and also helps in quick recovery helps in fighting fatigue.
Additionally, creatine is beneficial not only for athletes and sportsmen but for anyone looking for muscle health.
#5. Cell Hydration
Creatine supplementation increases the water content in muscle cells. Cell hydration results in an optimal environment for protein synthesis.
It helps in the building of new cells. Hydrated muscles contribute to the growth of muscle fibres resulting in increased muscle strength.
#6. Improved Recovery
Consuming creatine for muscle gain also enhances post-exercise recovery by reducing muscle damage and inflammation. ATP replenishments and faster recovery are both improved by creatine supplementation.
This allows faster recovery between sets and workouts. Creatine’s anti-oxidant properties mitigate oxidative stress caused by intense exercise. It helps reduce muscle soreness and accelerates the repair process helping sportsmen train harder.
#7. Improves Brain Function
ATP production by creatine helps in improving your cognitive performance. It increases dopamine levels thereby improving mental activity and brain function. It further helps in preventing nervous dysfunctions and neurological diseases.
The above benefits make it a viable choice for people looking for muscle strength.
Supplementing your diet with creatine can help you in increasing muscle quality along with preventing various diseases.
Yet one must know the correct way of its consumption to optimize its benefits. In our next section let us find out what is the best way of creatine consumption.
How to Take Creatine?
Creatine supplementation is a pro for building mass strength. For people involved in rigorous workouts, creatine is a boon.
But its use can optimize only when its intake is perfect. Consuming creatine for muscle gain is equally important as consuming an adequate amount.
Beginners can start with what we call as “creatine loading phase.” The creatine intake is increased in dosage from time to time.
- Creatine Loading – This is usually the beginner phase of creatine supplementation. People prefer to consume creatine usually before workouts. You can start by adding 20-25 gm of creatine to your regular diet in 4-5 doses. Continuing this strategy for 5-7 days can show effective results. Our body requires this amount daily at the start to maintain enough creatine stores.
- Post this phase, one must maintain a dosage of 3-5 grams per day. With the increase in time, the body needs a lesser creatine supply to ensure muscle strength. It helps in saturating muscles to maximize their benefits.
- Post this, is the maintenance dose with a decreased amount of creatine for a longer period. Consuming 5g of creatine daily is enough to help your body in maintaining muscle mass. Intake of this amount of creatine close to workout hours can further help in optimizing its benefits.
- You must consume creatine in split dosages with enough spacing between two doses. Adding creatine to honey or juice can further increase its effects.
- One of the best ways to gulp creatine is to add a potent creatine supplement.
One such creatine supplement that has been gaining attention worldwide is Ultimate CRN-5. A top-notch creatine supplement with all-natural components. Users have given positive Ultimate CRN-5 reviews that the supplement helped them in getting immense muscle growth.
Creatine consumption has its own set of advantages. However, to evaluate its efficacy one must also evaluate the safety considerations attached to creatine intake.
In our next section, we will focus on what are the ill effects attached to creatine.
Side Effects of Creatine Consumption
In our discussion so far, we understand that creatine is a dietary supplement for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
It helps enhance physical performance and muscle growth. The question remains, is it safe? There are still certain side effects of creatine discussed as follows-
Water Retention
Creatine supplementation leads to increased water retention within the muscles. It further leads to weight gain and bloating.
The problem involved with creatine consumption is that it makes us gain weight. The important part to note is that this is a temporary problem. It usually gets resolved after you stop taking creatine.
Gastrointestinal Distress
Individuals consuming creatine have complained of certain gastrointestinal issues. Diarrhea, nausea, cramping, and stomach discomfort are some issues mentioned by the users. These effects are generally mild and subside over time or by reducing dosages.
Muscle Cramps
Creatine supplementation can result in muscle cramps. High doses and improper use of creatine may lead to this condition.
Kidney Strain
Creatine consumption is harmful to those suffering from kidney issues. Adequate hydration though helps in such situations.
Liver abnormalities
studies report minor elevations in liver enzymes are common effects of creatine intake. Though not very dangerous these are avoidable by regulated usage.
A vast majority of users consuming creatine for muscle gain have safely certified it.
The above-mentioned side effects though are important to consider. It is always a good idea to consult a healthcare expert before including creatine in your diet.
Conclusion
Our discussion above provides that creatine for muscle gain offers a range of other health benefits. Individuals seeking to increase body mass and strength can benefit from its usage. People involved in heavy workouts and athletes are the target market of creatine supplements.
By increasing ATP, creatine promotes cellular hydration and stimulates protein synthesis.
It thus enhances exercise performance and provides a multi-faceted approach to muscle growth and strength development. Yet one must keep in mind that individual responses to creatine may vary.
Its influence also depends on other external factors. These factors include workout intensity, a balanced diet, and other lifestyle choices. Genetics also plays a key role in hormone regulation.
Creatine can be an effective health supplement for building body and muscle strength. Its usage, doses, frequency, and other external factors decide its impact on the body.
Still one must consider that it is only a part of your strength-building process and not the process itself.
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