Creatine is a naturally occurring, amino acid-based compound that is produced in your pancreas and stored primarily in your skeletal muscles. Creatine can also be manufactured synthetically and sold as a nutritional supplement in many different forms, including a liquid suspension containing creatine monohydrate. Liquid creatine is designed to be absorbed faster and more completely than other forms of the supplement, such as creatine powder, tablets or pills, due to the smaller size of the creatine molecules and an increased bioavailability of the creatine molecule when suspended in water. Liquid creatine supplements have four main effects on your body, including muscle hydration, protein synthesis, lactate buffer and energy metabolism. Always consult your physician before using any liquid creatine supplement.
Muscle Hydration
With liquid creatine supplements you can increase muscle hydration by pulling water into your skeletal muscles. Hydrated muscles appear larger and fuller under the surface of the skin, giving you a temporary appearance of having more muscle mass while you are supplementing with this substance. Muscle hydration also promotes an anabolic environment where muscle growth and recovery can occur, since water is necessary for anabolic reactions inside muscle cells.
Protein Synthesis
Liquid creatine promotes protein synthesis, or the formation of new proteins from amino acids, the building blocks of muscle and other soft tissue. Protein synthesis is essential during the recovery process following the muscle breakdown that occurs after a bout of intense physical activity, such as weightlifting or high-impact exercise. Liquid creatine enhances muscle recovery and growth, increasing the rate of muscle mass formation.
Lactate Buffer
Liquid creatine supplements act as a lactate buffer, slowing down the buildup of lactic acid in skeletal muscle cells. During exercise involving muscle contraction, lactic acid builds up as a natural byproduct of the energy-producing process that occurs within your muscles. Creatine stored inside your muscles resulting from supplementation can slow the rate in which lactic acid builds up, prolonging energy production and increasing your muscles' ability to contract during exercise.
Energy Metabolism
Liquid creatine supplementation will promote the storage of creatine phosphate in your skeletal muscles. Creatine phosphate is the active form of creatine and plays an essential role in energy production inside your skeletal muscle cells. With creatine phosphate you can increase the energy output of individual muscle cells by lending its phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), a form of chemical energy that converts into adenosine triphosphate with the addition of an extra phosphate. ATP is used to produce more energy that the muscle cell uses to contract, effectively increasing the amount of energy your muscles can produce.
References
- "Journal of Hyperplasia Research"; Creatine: A Meta-analysis; J.D. King; 2005
- "Anabolic Primer"; Phil Embleton and Gerard Thorne; 1998
- "Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements"; Jose Antonio, Douglass Kalman, Jeffery R. Stout, and Mike Greenwood; 2008
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