The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle
by Hamoon
Arbabi
zone3
Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular
and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available.
The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods
so it's unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions.
Let's first establish what creatine actually is. In brief, creatine is
produced naturally in our bodies to help supply energy to the muscles. It
is produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys before being transported in
the blood to our muscles. It is then converted into phosphocreatine which
is a powerful metabolite used to regenerate the muscles' ATP source of
energy.
From a bodybuilder's perspective, creatine can significantly increase
lean muscle mass quickly, improve performance in high intensity exercise,
raise energy levels and speed up recovery rates. Creatine's ability to
raise energy in muscles is due to its muscle protein synthesizing action
whilst reducing the breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine
has the effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also
improves muscle growth adding size and strength to muscle fibers.
Creatine is normally taken in two ways. The first involves loading the
muscles with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four to seven days. At
the end of this phase maintenance involves a regular intake of 5 to 15
grams per day. The other method is more gradual in that it skips out the
loading phase and simply involves supplementing with 5 to 15 grams per day
for an extended period.
Two questions remain to be answered - does it work and is it safe?
Creatine has undoubtedly been proven effective in recent years - over
twenty scientific studies have concluded that creatine can increase energy
levels and result in enhanced strength, endurance levels and recovery
rates. As a training aid it therefore has many merits. In terms of safety,
no study to date has shown creatine to be anything other than safe,
provided manufacturers' instructions are followed.
There is a bewildering range of creatine supplements on the market so
subsequent articles in this series will examine the relative merits of the
most popular and effective forms. In the meantime, you can find out more
by visiting the site listed below.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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