Creatine, the simple truth

I heard creatine is a steroid?!?!?!! It will make you bloated!?!?  I heard your kidneys fall out!!!

LOL

No creatine bloat here

It amazes me how much confusion there is about creatine. Extremely intelligent people will ask me if its a steroid. It surprises most people to know that they are already taking it and that their bodies produce it naturally in the liver. Yes, every time you eat a meat product you are eating creatine and your body needs it to survive.


The creatine phosphate system:


Within our muscle there is a compound known as ATP, (adenosine tri-phosphate). ATP is responsible for providing the body with quick bursts of energy, such as those needed to perform well in power-focused workout sessions. ATP is an important compound in relation to providing energy to the body. When ATP is used as energy, it is released and broken down into two separate chemicals: ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and inorganic phosphate. Unfortunately, once we burn through our supply of ATP, our bodies will not continue to produce it in short periods of time. In addition to not having an infinite supply of ATP, ADP as a product of ATP breakdown is useless as an energy source.


This is where creatine comes in. Stored in muscle tissue, creatine is able to bond with phosphorous, creating Creatine Phosphate. Creatine Phosphate is then able to combine with ADP to produce, you guessed it, additional ATP! Thus, by helping to create more ATP, Creatine Phosphate aids in allowing the body to function at maximum exertion for longer periods of time. Clearly this is the goal of anyone looking to gain strength or power.

The more creatine we have available for our muscles the better we can transform ADP to ATP! Unfortunately our bodies cannot maintain this process for very long and after about 8-10 seconds the system is depleted and switches energy production systems.


My recommendations is not to go through the loading phase that many companies promote as there is not sufficient evidence to support it will saturate your system any faster. A good creatine product should be pure 100% creatine monohydrate and nothing more. This should cost you about $25 for a 5 month supply! If you are buying any fancy concoctions (Acetyl creatine Kre Alklyn etc etc.) there is no solid evidence of better results. Creatine mixes such as cell tech are mostly creatine mixed with sugar and sometimes a few amino acids. There is some evidence to support that the sugar spiking your insulin helps promote better absorption but I suggest taking it with a big glass of grape juice. It will save you hundreds of dollars and eliminate most of the bloat people think is associated with creatine but is usually from the excess sugar.


Creatine does require that you drink more water and will in fact swell your muscles but the water you are absorbing is not subcutaneous (under the skin). The top bodybuilders in the world take creatine up to the day of the show, when their main goal is to have as little water and fat under their skin as possible. This helps their muscles stay full while their skin is paper thin. If your bloated, you are either taking way too much or more likely its from something else your consuming.


I am currently 202lbs at 8% bodyfat and take about 5grams a day with zero subcutaneous water retention and zero stomach discomfort. I suggest starting with 3 grams and working your way up to 5 grams. There does not seem to be much benefit to taking anymore then that but I know people that take as much as 10 grams a day without any complications. I believe you will reach a point where your muscles are saturated and the only thing you will be doing is pissing creatine and working your kidneys a bit more.


Creatine is one of the very few sports supplements that are guaranteed to work!


The four main staples of every persons supplementation should be:


Protein Shakes


Fish Oil


Multi Vitamin (high quality not some BS brand)


Creatine