Creatine Monohydrate is a reliable assistant during strength training. This sports supplement improves strength and stamina, helping you exercise harder and harder. Every athlete should know why creatine monohydrate is needed, how to take the supplement and what effect to expect from sports nutrition.
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Composition and properties of food additives
Nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid, called creatine, is a special dietary supplement for athletes. It contains only one component - creatine itself, which is a natural compound consisting of three vital amino acids. A modern supplement widely used by athletes is called creatine monohydrate and is a combination of nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid with ordinary water. This is an absolutely natural substance that is produced in the human body and in the body of vertebrates (including in meat and fish).
Interesting! The name of the supplement is derived from the Greek word for meat.
When used correctly, the supplement is completely safe, as it is completely absorbed by the body.
The properties of dietary supplements are as follows:
- increases strength performance of an athlete during intensive training by an average of 20%;
- increases overall endurance of the body and muscles;
- increases the secretion of testosterone, which positively affects physical performance;
- normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system;
- retains fluid in the muscles.
The result is an improvement in the duration and intensity of strength training.Athletes note that taking the supplement increases the total number of repetitions of one exercise and shortens the duration between sets, since when taking creatine, the body recovers faster, therefore, it takes less time to rest. Another advantage is the positive effect of the supplement on total muscle mass. In general, creatine does not increase muscle mass per se, since it is not an anabolic steroid. However, it retains fluid in the muscles, which leads to a visual increase in them.
The additive is available in capsules and powder. Both forms of release are equally popular, but powder is a little cheaper.
What is Creatine Monohydrate for?
In simple terms, creatine monohydrate is necessary in order to do more repetitions of exercises in less time. For example, if on average an athlete who is not taking the supplement can do three sets of 5 repetitions in one period of time, then when taking a biologically active food supplement, this figure increases by an average of 20%. The result is obvious - faster and more intensive development of muscle groups being worked out.
Novice athletes value creatine for increasing overall stamina. Taking this supplement promotes enhanced oxygen supply of muscle fibers, resulting in a reduced frequency of seizures that occur during repeated repetition of a heavy exercise on one muscle group. This problem is often faced by beginners in the gym.
Another advantage is the visual increase in total muscle volume associated with fluid retention.
True, this effect is temporary, because creatine does not fundamentally affect muscle building.
In other words, creatine has all the benefits of steroids, but you have to make the effort to achieve the result. Indeed, without intensive training, taking monohydrate will be a waste of time and money.
How to take dietary supplements in capsules and powder
To begin with, you should decide on the choice of the form of the additive. In general, there is no particular difference in the effectiveness of the powder and capsules - this is one and the same drug, which means it acts the same way. However, the powder is much cheaper than creatine capsules, but requires some additional action - it should be properly dosed and diluted in a sweet liquid.
The powder additive can be diluted in ordinary water, or eat the powder with normal water. But sugary drinks contain carbohydrates that stimulate the release of insulin, as a result, creatine is absorbed faster and better.
The recommended dose is 5 g before training and 5 g after. This corresponds to one measuring spoon, which is always included with the packaging of dietary supplement in powder form. The first dose should be taken an hour before training, the second - immediately after exercise in the gym.
Creatine monohydrate capsules are easier to take. All of them contain a standard dosage of 5 g of creatine. One capsule should be drunk an hour before training (it is better to drink it with sweet juice), the second - immediately after exercise. In addition, it is more convenient to take capsules with you to the gym.
The course of taking creatine is 1 month. Then you need a break for 2-3 months and the course can be repeated.
Taking the drug with loading
A boot in bodybuilding is taking a large amount of a sports supplement in a small course. This is necessary in order to quickly increase the content of the necessary substance in the body, thus achieving a quick result.
Loading creatine is carried out as follows. Within 3-9 days, 20-30 grams of the supplement should be taken, dividing it 4 times during the day. Starting from the tenth day, they switch to taking a small dose - 3 grams of powder per day for 30 days.According to this scheme, it is more convenient to take the powder, since a measuring spoon allows you to better dose the drug, while the capsule contains 5 g, so it will not work to reduce the amount of monohydrate.
Calculating the required dose for loading is very simple - you need to take 0.3 g of the supplement for every kilogram of weight.
Recent studies have shown that loading slightly exceeds the effectiveness of regular intake of the supplement in standard doses. Therefore, recently this method has been losing popularity.
Side effects, overdose and contraindications
Having figured out how to take creatine monohydrate in powder, you should talk about the potential dangers of the supplement.
Contraindications for admission are as follows:
- renal and liver failure;
- bronchial asthma;
- hypertonic disease;
- period of pregnancy and lactation.
Side effects are very rare, and are usually associated with non-compliance with the dosage regimen or exceeding the recommended course of taking the supplement. The main symptom of trouble is edema, which is associated with water retention in the body.
Attention to women! Long-term use of creatine can lead to weight gain due to a strong water retention. Water balance will return to normal 2-3 weeks after discontinuation of the drug.
With prolonged intake of the supplement, muscle relief may be lost, since fluid is retained in them, and the body acquires some swelling and swelling. This side effect is temporary and disappears after discontinuation of dietary supplement.
Due to fluid retention, the urinary system may suffer. People with diagnosed problems with kidney function should be especially careful. In this case, the supplement is not recommended because of the risk of developing renal failure.
Long-term use of large doses of creatine can lead to an overdose. This is accompanied by increased acidity of the stomach, heartburn and diarrhea. If adverse reactions occur, stop taking the supplement. Overdose symptoms disappear on their own after 1-3 days, but fluid intake should be increased during this period.
