Creatine

Creatine Monohydrate

Everyone has heard the buzz about creatine (called Creatine Monohydrate) but many of us (until recently me included) were still not completely certain of its effectiveness or its worth.

After researching for myself I found out a few things that I thought would help the average consumer in regards to the supposed wonder supplement Creatine Monohydrate. Here goes…

Basically creatine is a supplement that helps the body during athletic performance by increasing energy levels, recovery times and unbeknownst to most a host of other benefits also. Creatine itself is a naturally occuring compound, found in nature, mainly in plants and animals ie meats like beef, tuna, salmon, herring and in the human body primarily stored in the brain and muscle tissue.

Unfortunately there are such small quantities of it found in nature that there was never a concentrated enough way to make it beneficial to humans. Fortunately however scientists discovered Creatine Monohydrate, which is basically creatine in its most pure and highly concentrated form.

In this form creatine is shown to have profound effects on the body when combined with healthy eating and exercise. It can dramatically improve muscular performance, lessen recovery and reaction time and boost during workout energy levels by large percentages.

Because creatine is not usually supplied to the body in the form of Creatine Monohydrate, experts recommend it be taken in a very specific way to maximize its benefits. The main method is called loading, where the creatine participant literally ‘loads’ up on the supplement by taking 5g 4-6 times continually throughout the day for a period of 5-7 days. This fills the muscles with creatine such that after this time the supplementation and its effects and benefits can be maintained with only a far smaller dose of 5g per day for the next month to three months.

The only other requirements of Creatine Monohydrate supplementation is that the person taking it consumes alot of water. Because one of the actions of creatine is to cause the muscle tissue super hydration and hence better performance and faster recovery, it requires alot of water to be supplied externally. Some people report actually feeling dehydrated if this stipulation is not adhered to.

Another important note on Creatine Monohydrate is that it has no side effects. Because it is naturally occuring it acts in harmony with your body’s own processes. There have been reports of people experiencing cramps when taking Creatine Monohydrate but professionals have ensured that this can only result when a lack of water is present as explained above.

It seems that in conclusion creatine is about as close to performance enhancer as you can get without being illegal. In other words, Creatine Monohydrate is a breakthrough in sports nutrition and something we are only set to see more of in years to come.