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How Creatine Works as a Bodybuilding Supplement

Creatine gives you many advantages with your bodybuilding regimen. By using it, you’re able to lift more weight and your body repairs faster. If you like to lift a lot of weight and take short breaks in between, then this can enable you to bulk up faster.

Taken as recommended, Creatine is a safe bodybuilding supplement when paired with proper nutrition and training. Your body makes Creatine naturally. The more active you are, the higher amount of Creatine that gets metabolized.

You can get it by eating red meat and some fish products, but when you’re bodybuilding, it’s hard to have that sort of intake solely from food. That’s where Creatine supplements (usually in powder form) come in handy.

Creatine helps hydrate your cells so that your strength improves and your muscles appear fuller. It helps your body tolerate a more substantial workout, which is essential to bodybuilding.

It also helps your body make ATP, which stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. This fuels the muscles so that instead of encountering that burn that you normally feel, you’re able to carry on with a set and get more repetitions in.

Aside from bodybuilding benefits, Creatine has been said to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Some people suggest loading up with 20 grams for five days and between 5 to 10 grams afterward that. That’s no really necessary. Just stick to 5-8 grams a day. You may want to adjust the grams to suit your needs, but this is the most common measurement for ingesting Creatine.

Creatine sometimes has side effects. But compared to many supplements, they’re pretty mild and include things like upset stomach or muscle cramping. Consumers have said serum Creatine has fewer side effects than the powder version.

Whenever you take a Creatine supplement, make sure you stay hydrated because dehydration is a common side effect. Plus, your body is pulling in water to your cells, so it needs extra fluids.

The best reason to take Creatine supplements is if you find that you’re not able to sustain a hard workout for very long. Some bodybuilders have started out unable to lift much weight for long endurance periods, but as they increase their Creatine levels, they can push through and see better results.

If you simply take Creatine and then don’t push harder, you won’t see any additional muscle volume. You have to put the supplement to work in your body. You’ll need to up your protein intake too, so that your bodybuilding efforts are maximized through your workouts.

A Quick Guide to How Creatine Builds Muscle

There are a variety of muscle building supplements on the market. One of the most popular and effective muscle building supplements is Creatine, however there is a lot of confusion and misinformation spread about Creatine. The purpose of this article is to explain to you how Creatine can help you build muscles.

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance. It is produced in small amounts by the liver. Creatine travels through the bloodstream to muscle cells. Once there, it is transformed into Creatine phosphate that provides short energy bursts. These are extremely useful for muscle building.

As you can see, there is not a direct link between Creatine and muscle building. By increasing your intake of Creatine, you will find that more Creatine phosphate is converted to energy in your muscles. The increased production of energy means that you can work out for longer, lift heavier weights and do more repetitions of each exercise. It is this increase in output from your exercise routine that will allow you to gain strength and build more muscle.

As you can see, a Creatine supplement can be great for your muscle building endeavours. However, there is some concern of possible negative side effects from excess consumption. There have been some reported cases of water retention and mild nausea, but no documented scientific studies. There are no studies that have linked taking a Creatine supplement with any serious medical illnesses. On major study done by Jaques R. Poortmans and Marc Francaux, entitled “Long-Term Oral Creatine Supplementation Does Not Impair Renal Function In Healthy Athletes” compared kidney health and Creatine use in healthy athletes for a period of 10 months to 5 years. There findings showed no adverse health conditions in those that had taken a Creatine supplement.

Creatine is an extremely effective and useful supplement that is highly recommended for anyone wanting to boost their muscle building endeavours.

Basic Bodybuilding Supplements

Some of the basic bodybuilding workout supplements you should pick up are listed below in no particular order of importance:

Whey Protein. For those who are looking to gain muscle mass whey protein is the best choice. Whey proteins are comprised of short chains of amino acids which make them easy to digest and have an ideal ratio of amino acids to support muscle growth. Because whey is utilized so quickly by the body, it is perfect for post workout shakes. Try drink it within a half hour or so after your work out.

Multivitamins. Many body builders have very restrictive diets and are at a risk of developing deficiencies. In order for the body to work properly it needs the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

Creatine. This is the most popular supplement in the market right now because it works. Creatine which is naturally found in our bodies and some of the food we eat, helps your body store more water in your muscles in order to maintain homeostasis. This process causes the muscle to appear fuller and can help you increase the load you do during your workout. Increased load causes your muscles to grow.

Fish oil is a great source of essential fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids which helps maintain joint flexibility. It also supports the proper functioning of the brain, nerve and visual systems. Fish oil comes in a pill form which is easier to swallow than the liquid form. Get the coated gelcaps to avoid fishy aftertaste.

Branched Chain Amino Acids or BCAA. The body cannot produce essential amino acids and can only be obtained from complete protein foods. Supplementing with BCAA helps in the repair and building of tissues such as the muscles. They are small enough to get into the blood stream and into the muscles. BCAA comes in a pill or liquid and powder form.

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