You’re probably already familiar with creatine as a means to gain muscle mass. Different forms of creatine appear on the shelves at health food stores, right next to protein powder and other muscle growth supplements. Bodybuilders have been using the effects of creatine to boost muscle strength for quite some time, but this doesn’t mean that the supplement is limited to only powerlifting pros.
As it turns out, anyone can take a daily dose of creatine pre-workout or post-workout to increase exercise performance and build muscle. Why should you take creatine while weightlifting? How much do you need to take in order to enhance your athletic performance? What’s the best time of day to take creatine? Are there any side effects of creatine? My Fit Foods explores all of these fun facts, so you can take creatine safely and effectively.
What Does Creatine Do?
Sold in loose powder and capsule forms, creatine is a supplement that’s designed to help you boost your performance in the gym. The substance works well because it’s naturally found in the body in the form of muscle creatine.
Your liver, kidneys, and pancreas all contribute to your creatine levels, creating it from a mix of three amino acids: methionine, glycine, and arginine. Once your body makes it, creatine stores itself in the muscle cells attached to your skeleton, the ones responsible for movement.
In addition, dietary creatine is found in red meat, poultry, and other protein-rich foods. Since meat comes from the muscles of animals, this makes plenty of sense. Overall, between the foods that you consume and the natural processes of your body, on average, you can create around one to two grams of creatine each day.
What Are the Health Benefits of Creatine?
Athletes aren’t the only ones who can benefit from creatine supplements. As it turns out, there are additional factors involved that show how just about everyone could use extra creatine in their systems.
Creatine Can Improve Your Brain Health
Although creatine is mostly stored in the lean mass in your body, it also ends up being stored in the brain as well. In fact, the brain needs creatine in order to improve its memory-making capabilities and its overall functioning processes.
People who take a certain amount of creatine supplements every day can have improved cognitive functioning after a mere five days. Scientists believe that creatine can provide more energy to the brain, thus creating these improvements.
Creatine Can Improve Your Performance in the Gym
The main reason why many people choose to take creatine supplements is that they want to set new records in the gym or out on the playing field. Since creatine is stored mainly in the muscle fibers, the body can use it to create a burst of energy that allows you to run faster or lift more weight than usual.
This is done by assisting your body in building up new stores of adenosine triphosphate, which is a natural molecule found in the muscles that provide fuel for your cells, particularly those in your muscles.
Creatine Can Positively Affect the Aging Process
As both men and women age, their muscles and bones do as well. This can lead to the inability to lift heavy things, cold intolerance, and even osteoporosis. However, creatine can help reverse this part of the aging process, keeping those muscles and bones in good condition.
By taking creatine, eating a diet that contains plenty of protein, and doing some resistance training, people can improve their physical shape.
How Much Creatine Should You Take?
The benefits of creatine are clear. The real question is, how much should you take every day? There’s no easy answer to this question, although the dailymaintenance dose after you get your body adjusted to the added creatine, tends to be between four and six grams per day. Let’s go into a bit more depth.
Creatine Loading Phase
This is a process that consists of taking a higher dosage of creatine for five days, followed by a maintenance dose. Those who choose to creatine load start by taking 20 grams of creatine a day. The dose can be broken down into five, four-gram supplements, or four five-gram ones, taken at various times.
It’s up to you. Once the five-day loading period is over, you should cut your dosage back down to between three and five grams per day. This is an amount that is safe to take over a longer period.
Maintenance Creatine
Another method of taking creatine requires you to take a smaller amount every single day based on your body mass. This is calledmaintenance creatine. Rather than loading up on it at the beginning of your creatine cycle, you simply take some every day and allow your body to naturally begin to retain it in your muscle stores.
When following this routine, you’ll need to take around five grams per day. This is a healthy amount, and when supplemented with plenty of protein (found in meat or whey protein shakes) it will give your muscles the energy that they need for high-intensity exercise
When Should You Take Creatine?
There is no right time of day to take your favorite type of creatine supplement. Instead, rather than taking one dietary supplement per day, most athletes break down their creatine intake into several recommended doses. For example, if you’re taking a maximum of five grams of the nutrient per day, you can take one gram at five different times.
You don’t necessarily need to take it with food, like withbreakfast, lunch, or dinner, but some people have found that it’s easier to digest when you pair it with some carbs and fat — creatine on an empty stomach can sometimes cause gastrointestinal distress and cramping.
It really comes down to your schedule and preferences. In fact, you might want to spend some time experimenting with the supplements and when you take them in order to find the best schedule for you. After all, everyone is different.
Choosing the Best Creatine Supplements
When shopping around for a creatine supplement, you’ll no doubt come across a number of different types. Some are called creatine salts. There are even descriptions of methods that you can follow in order to make your own creatine salts. However, the best supplement is called creatine monohydrate. It’s been around for years and is available in a number of different nutritionist-approved dosages.
Some experts proclaim that the very best creatine doesn’t come from a supplement at all. Instead, it’s found in the meat that you eat as a part of your diet.
While this is true, in order to get the amount of creatine that you need to properly enhance your performance, you’ll need to take a supplement. After all, a single serving of meat can have around .4 of a gram of creatine. That simply isn’t enough in some cases.
Possible Concerns When Taking Creatine Supplements
Before you take any supplements, even those made of a substance that the body naturally creates, it’s important to see a doctor. While most people will be able to take it with very few problems, in people with kidney disorders and conditions, the supplement can end up harming their kidneys and making the issues even worse.
In addition, you’ll want to avoid taking NSAIDs and drinking caffeinated beverages with your creatine supplements. NSAIDs can damage the kidneys, especially when combined with creatine. Caffeine, on the other hand, can make creatine supplements less effective.
Look Out for Side Effects
Although many people take creatine supplements and suffer from few if any side effects, others might notice a few things. For example, bloating, where you end up retaining water, is one of the known side effects. This is more likely to occur when you’re following a creatine loading plan and are taking up to 20 grams for those first few days.
Other side effects may affect the stomach. You may have diarrhea, some nausea, and an upset stomach. Some people have found that taking creatine supplements with food negates these side effects, so they make sure to follow their meals with the supplement.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of taking a creatine supplement are obvious. It can help you improve your overall athletic performance, as you’ll be able to run just a little faster and lift weights that are slightly heavier. Over time, these gains will improve upon themselves, and you’ll be able to easily meet your goals.
With that said, the body can only process a certain amount of creatine per day, with five grams being near the maximum limit, so anything that you take over that for a longer period of time may not get stored in your muscles as you hoped. Keeping this in mind, take any creatine supplements the smart way and check with your doctor if needed.
If you have any questions regarding nutrition, pleasecontact us.
Sources:
Can You Take Too Much Creatine? | Healthline
Creatine 101: Everything You Need to Know About the Supplement and Its Benefits | Everyday Health
Creatine: How Much Should You Be Taking? | Schwarzenegger.com