There are many supplements that claim to improve your health by providing the nutrients your body requires to perform better. Creatine is an amino acid and popular supplement used in the fitness industry. According to the book "Essentials of Creatine in Sports and Health," creatine can help to improve athletic performance. However, to achieve these results, you have to take creatine properly. As with any supplement, you should check with a medical professional prior to consuming creatine.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a combination of three amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine. All three of these amino acids occur naturally in your body. Creatine plays an instrumental role in providing the energy required by your muscles for rapid and explosive movements such as weightlifting. Your body fractures creatine enzymatically to produce adenosine-triphosphate. Your body then breaks down the ATP to produce energy for muscle contraction. Creatine also increases cellular hydration allowing more amino acids into your muscle cells.
How to Take Creatine
Creatine stays in your system for approximately one and a half hours. According to the book "Advanced Sports Nutition," athletes should take creatine approximately one hour prior to working out. This allows your body sufficient time to absorb the creatine into your bloodstream. Additionally, by taking the creatine prior to your workout, your body can use the creatine during the workout to support muscle growth and after the workout to support muscle repair.
How Much Should You Take?
According to the book "Essentials of Creatine in Sports and Health," you should establish a creatine dose based on your body weight. After an initial loading period that lasts approximately two weeks, you should lower the amount of creatine you consume. Further, the book states, if you weigh less than 140 lbs., you should take 5 to 6 g per day during the loading period. Individuals weighing 141 to 168 lbs. should take 6 to 7.5 g. Individuals weighing 169 to 199 lbs. should take 8 g per day. Individuals weighing between 200 and 242 lbs. should take 8 to 10 g per day, and individuals weighing more than 242 lbs. should take 10 to 12 g per day. After this loading period, you should reduce your creatine intake by 50 percent.
Mixing Creatine
According to the book "The Ultimate Creatine Handbook: The Safe Alternative for Healthy Muscle Building," clinical evidence does not support the benefits of mixing simple sugars with creatine to improve absorption in your body. Therefore, what you mix with the creatine powder is a matter of personal preference. You can mix the creatine powder with water, juice or any other beverage without either benefiting or adversely affecting the creatine supplement.
References
- "Advanced Sports Nutrition"; Dan Benardot; 2005
- "Essentials of Creatine in Sports and Health"; Jeffrey R. Stout, Jose Antonio, Douglas Kalman; 2010
- "The Ultimate Creatine Handbook"; Joseph A. Debe, Donna Caruso; 2003
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