Don’t fall into the common trend of overlooking one of the most effective supplements on shelves.
Creatine is one of the oldest and researched sport supplements on the market. The trend however, seems to indicate that more and more athletes are overlooking creatine in favour of some of the more innovative and trendy supplements on the market.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s, “creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”
Extensively studied and clinically effective form of creatine for use in nutritional supplements in terms of muscle uptake and ability to increase high-intensity exercise capacity, is possibly the most prolific legal performance enhancer at our disposal.
Not only does it increase power and strength, but it also boosts muscle gain, aids recovery and improves muscle endurance. It’s also the most cost effective supplement on the market relative to its many benefits.
How it works
Creatine is naturally produced in the kidneys from three amino acids, namely glycine, L-arginine, and L-methionine, which means it is not an essential nutrient. These substances are mainly derived from meat in the diet and are then synthesised into creatine.
Creatine’s primary role is energy production through the Adenosine Triphosphate-Phosphocreatine (ATP-PCr) system. This occurs within the mitochondria of cells, especially muscle cells.
With creatine stores within muscle cells limited by your diet and how rich in creatine the foods you eat are; supplementing with creatine ensures that you’re muscle stores are consistent. Supplemental creatine increases muscle stores of phosphocreatine (PCr). This leads to the body being able to meet the increased energy demands of intense training and explosive movements by the muscles increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, from adenosine diphosphate (ADP).
Whilst supplementing with creatine, you are able to maintain the intensity of short duration muscle contractions for longer, which increases muscular endurance and also enables you to produce more forceful contractions, which increases strength and power.
Who should use it
Due to the many benefits of creatine; it can be used by a wide variety of athletes, all wanting to increase their performance levels. From gym-goers, powerlifters, crossfitters as well as endurance athletes; the muscle sparing effects as well as increased energy, and endurance levels will definitely be put to work.