Creatine supplementation provides benefits for individuals that participate in brief, high-intensity activities like weight training. Consult with your health care provider before taking supplements. Learning how to properly design your weight training program will assist in determining if creatine use is right for you.
Creatine
Creatine increases the production of your body's muscle energy. Creatine transforms in the body into creatine phosphate which gets further converted into adenosine triphosphate, which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism. Creatine supplements come in liquid, powder or pill forms. Proper dosage consists of four daily doses of 5 g each for the first week. The first week of creatine use refers to the loading phase. After the loading phase the recommended daily amount contains 2 to 5 g, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.This period encompasses the maintenance phase where you sustain certain levels of creatine in the body. Different products may instruct you to take different amounts. Always read product instructions and before use speak with your physician to assess safety.
Purpose
Improvements in performance from creatine use include increased muscular strength, hypertrophy and athletic performance. However, gains are only experienced by those who participate in high-intensity, short-duration activities, such as weightlifters and sprinters. People over the age of 60 do not benefit from this supplement.
Timing
Creatine timing remains vital for proper supplementation, but what you take with creatine may prove a greater importance. A 2006 study carried out by Paul Cribb and Alan Hayes of Victoria University found that following a 10-week creatine supplementation regimen, those who consumed both protein and creatine before and after a strength training workout had increases in size and strength, compared with those who consumed both supplements right after waking up and before sleep.
Program Design
A weight training program consisting of compound movements, lower repetitions and heavier weights provides the best method for gaining the most benefits from creatine use. Compound movements refer to exercises that recruit multiple muscle groups at one time like the bench press, squat and dead lift. The "National Academy of Sports Medicine" advises using one to 12 repetitions for three to six sets to increase muscular strength. The amount of weight used per exercise should consist of 70 to 100 percent of your one rep maximum. Your one rep max refers to the highest amount of weight you can perform for a given exercise. A calculation of your maximum multiplied by your desired percentage determines the amount of weight used.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- Medline Plus: Creatine
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Effects of Supplement Timing and Resistance Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy; Paul J. Cribb and Alan Hayes; November 2006
- National Academy of Sports Medicine: Program Design Concepts
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