Creatine is one of the most studied supplements there is. It came under in the late 90’s because of unfounded concerns with dehydration and cramping. These concerns were put to rest after many researchers found no link between creatine and dehydration among athletes. After literally hundreds of studies there appears to but no negative side effects associated with creatine usage at all.
What many people don’t know is that creatine is found naturally in the food we eat. It is found in high levels in red meat. As a matter of fact, this is the main reason why many people who eat red meat regularly don’t seem to get good results with the supplementation of creatine. Creatine does, however, yield great results for most people.
Creatine will work very well for about 30 to 40 percent of the people who use it. Another 30% of the people who use it will claim good results. But unfortunately, about 30% of all creatine users report almost no effect at all. Many of these people may be getting it in their diets.
When taking creatine, use 20 grams per day for the first seven days as a loading phase. Do you need to load up? No, but your muscles will reach their saturation point quicker. After the loading phase, use 10 grams a day for five more weeks. Take the next three to four weeks off, and start again.
Creatine hit the market about 15 years ago and has been one of the top selling supplements since. It’s popularity is due to one reason — it works.
Creatine works by giving the muscle cell what it needs to store ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is the energy source our muscles use for heavy-duty, short-term workloads, the type used in weight training, sprintning, wrestling, etc. Creatine has been shown to increase strength in most people by 10%. Endurance athletes will find the use of creatine to be a waste of time because it does not affect that energy system.
