Creatine, What and Why
If you are someone who is into regular exercise, then you’ve probably heard a lot about creatine. In order to understand how creatine can benefit your workout, it is important to understand what it is and how it works. Creatine is an amino acid compound that takes advantage of your body’s existing amino acids and the food you eat in order to help store energy. Red meats and fish are creatine rich foods. In the human body, you will find creatine stored as phosphocreatine. What this does is works with your body’s natural system for storing energy in the muscle, and in this way provides energy for muscle contraction. It also contributes to the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) regeneration process. During a muscle contraction, ATP loses one phosphate molecule in order to create energy. It also gets converted to ADP or adenosine di phosphate. If more energy needs to be produced, ADP needs to be converted back to ATP. When ATP becomes depleted, creatine comes to the rescue and is able to convert the ADP molecule into an ATP molecule. If you have a lot of creatine in your body, the quicker the body is able to produce ATP molecules. In this way more energy becomes available for muscle contractions. This is mainly how creatine acts as a terrific energy source for those short bursts of exercise namely body building, sprinting and other athletic activities. Also, taking creatine helps reduce fatigue and aids with protein synthesis. In this way creatine promotes the development and growth of muscles. And creatine gives you access to this extra energy almost instantly. As a result, if you are a weightlifter or runner, creatine is an essential supplement to help create sudden and frequent energy bursts. In addition to providing increased energy, creatine also helps with your muscles recovery from exercise. Chances are if you are someone who bodybuilds, runs, or participates in other related exercise programs, you may have heard of creatine already. If you haven’t, you need to try it out! Not only is creatine and excellent supplement for bodybuilders, it’s also good for anyone who wants to increase their muscle efficiency as it helps maintain hydration in the muscles. Creatine is derived naturally from an amino acid of the liver, pancreas, and kidney, from glycine, arginine, and methione. Water is well retained in the muscles when a person takes creatine. Not only does this help build strength, but also increases your muscular endurance. If you know the benefits that creatine offers to building muscle and increasing endurance, you’re sure to be satisfied with the product. Countless research has shown it is both effective and safe for anyone who wants to increase their fitness performance and muscle mass in exercises that require explosive and short energy bursts. But it is not a cure-all. If you want to have a sculpted physique, or the massive bulk of longtime bodybuilder, without doing the work, creatine is not going to be a wand you can wave and get the exact fitness results you want. What it does is help your body’s development with a regular exercise plan. When you take this supplement and put in some hard work and effort, your muscles will grow stronger. There may be some confusion that Creatine builds big muscles; it helps your muscles to build themselves better and stronger when you put in some effort and work. If you are weightlifter, or if you are taking advantage of the benefits of a trainer, start taking creatine. In time, as you continue to workout, you’ll see your muscles begin to grow and also gain definition. The hydrating effect of creatine is helpful in creating definition in the muscle. Creatine works by entering the tissue of the muscle through the highway of the bloodstream. With a regular creatine supplement, your muscles will be more hydrated and appear larger and fuller. 90% + of your body’s creatine is stored in muscle tissue. You’ll also find some in the heart, brain, and testicles (in men). An average adult will be carrying around in his or her body about 120 g of creatine. It is recommended that you take in about 2 g of creatine everyday. Be careful about this — if you suddenly stop taking creatine, you will lose the hydrating effects, and as a result your muscles will lose expansion. You’ll still have the muscle, but it won’t look as healthy. And remember, creatine does not simply build large muscles, it helps your muscles remain strong, as long as you keep up the effort and hard work.
