Do you want to boost your fitness with a supplement backed by evidence and science? If so, then Creatine is probably your best bet to achieve better athletic performance. Creatine is backed by research, with over 300 studies demonstrating its effectiveness. Taking a 5mg dose of Creatine Monohydrate as a supplement for two-three months could significantly increase lean body muscle strength and endurance. Additionally, with Creatine supplements, you gain purely lean body mass from it, with no increase in body fat. Besides, if you are a vegan looking to build lean body mass, Creatine can exogenously fill in the gaps that your plant-based diet may not.
Choosing the correct type of supplements depends on your individual needs and body type. SameDaySupplements.com is the leading worldwide supplement warehouse and has on-staff experienced trainers and nutrition experts to help you choose the right one for you.
If all these benefits have piqued your interest in Creatine supplements, continue reading to know more about how it can improve your exercise performance.
What Is Creatine?
The most common misconception associated with Creatine is that it is considered a steroid – while it is entirely an organic compound. Creatine (methyl guanidine-acetic acid) is a chemical compound found in all vertebrates; it is involved in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) whenever we engage in physical activity. It is mainly found in our muscles and brain, with about 95% being stored in our muscles.
Although our body can produce Creatine from the amino acid, many athletes and bodybuilders prefer to take Creatine supplements to help them with high-intensity exercise. Using Creatine supplements such as USN anabolic muscle fuel can boost the amount of PhosphoCreatine needed to produce ATP, resulting in more stamina for exercise. Creatine can also increase muscle mass and aid in faster muscle recovery.
How Does Creatine Work?
When we exercise, we use ATP for energy. Creatine helps speed up the production of ATP in our body. ATP is a potent compound with three phosphates sharing strong bonds. As each phosphate releases and this bond breaks, energy is released, causing a chain burst of energy.
Creatine can replenish the phosphate, adding more fuel for the ATP energy burst. It is almost like automatically adding bullets to a gun right after shooting, where your magazine instantly fills up with phosphate. The energy released from ATP helps muscle contraction, resulting in better muscle power output and explosive strength.
How Do We Respond to Creatine Intake?
Our body primarily has two types of fiber- type I (slow-twitch fibers) and type II (fast-twitch fibers). Slow-twitch fibers are responsible for endurance, and the fats twitch fibers are responsible for a quick burst of energy. If you compare these two, the first would be the best fit for a marathon, while the other is suitable for a sprint. Your body can have the perfect balance of these muscle types or contain one type more than the other.
The reaction we get from our body by Creatine intake depends solely on our muscle type. If you have type two fiber, your body will respond better with a Creatine supplement. If you have more slow-twitch fiber in your body, there is less or no chance of you benefitting from Creatine intake.
How Does Creatine Boost Your Exercise Performance?
Creatine and regular exercise can help you build muscle and increase the threshold of your endurance to high-intensity workouts. All types of athletes or even amateur gym-goers can benefit from Creatine intake. Here we have explained the key aspects of Creatine intake in exercise.
1. Increased Workload
Creatine can significantly increase the amount of exercise you can take up in a single session, especially in high-intensity activity. Studies have shown it can boost your performance by 1-15% on average, which is considerably higher than what you can do only with training. Whether you are a runner, swimmer, soccer player, or bodybuilder, Creatine can undoubtedly help you boost your exercise load.
2. Increased Cell Hydration
Cell hydration helps muscle grow. Increased water content in your cell helps to increase its volume, which ultimately leads to muscle growth. Since Creatine activates the water retention process in our cells, more water pools in our cells; therefore, it is advised to stay hydrated whenever you take Creatine supplements; it ensures proper use of Creatine.
3. Effective Muscle Gain
Studies find that Creatine supplements can boost your lean muscle mass to 2.2% on average. Creatine can help you gain muscle mass, both short term and long term. Creatine can increase your muscle growth to two-three times higher than regular training can. Both beginner and pro athletes can reap the benefit of Creatine supplement if they combine it with weight training.
4. Reduced Body Fat
You can have a 3.2% decrease in body fat on average if you take a Creatine supplement. While Creatine does increase your weight, it doesn’t have many calories to convert to body fat. The reason Creatine helps with reducing body fat is that it promotes lean muscle growth. Lean muscle helps burn fat more than fatty tissue.
5. Increased Anabolic Hormone
Creatine intake can boost your supply of anabolic hormone. Anabolic hormone such as insulin growth hormone (IGF-I) helps you build muscle. Anabolic hormones are tissue building hormones that are engaged in protein synthesis and transportation of amino acid. However, Creatine doesn’t increase your testosterone level.
6. Reduced Production of Myostatin
Myostatin is a growth-regulating factor that hinders our muscle growth. Myostatin regulates mutation and excessive muscle growth. However, in some cases, it can slow healthy muscle gain and result in muscle deficiency. Creatine supplements can control the myostatin level in your body and increase muscle growth.
7. Improved Cell Signal
Muscle fibers are made of segments called Sarcomere. There are two proteins in the Sarcomere that are engaged in signaling muscle fiber to contract. ATP fuels this signal process, creating a burst of energy. Creatine intake can produce more ATP to increase muscle fiber signal.
The Bottom Line
The key difference between Creatine and other regular supplements for boosting exercise is that no other supplements have so much research to back their claim as Creatine has. While other supplements can have questionable performance or various side effects, Creatine is much safer with its wide use and experiments. However, the use of Creatine should not only be limited to athletes or bodybuilders. It can also be helpful for the elderly with Sarcopenia, a condition that causes muscle loss. If you want to take up Creatine to increase your athletic performance, make sure you take the right doses and under your doctor’s supervision.
