By: Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
I don’t think I need to convince you that creatine is an amazing supplement. If we’re at that stage, you have much to learn, grasshopper. Creatine has been around for as long as I can remember, and it’s certainly not going anywhere.
As one of the top-selling categories in supplements, creatine is by far the most researched supplement ingredient on the planet. And with each study that gets published, we learn more about how beneficial this supplement really is — everything from muscle growth to brain health and so much in between.
That said, many people know that creatine can help them reach their health, fitness, and physique goals, but some still have no clue as to why. Therefore, in this article, we are going to dive deeper into what creatine is, what its purpose is, its benefits, and how you can leverage enhanced creatine formulas for even better results.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before engaging in any exercise program or adding any new supplements to your regimen.
What Exactly is Creatine?
The nitrogenous organic acid creatine is one that your body can make in modest amounts on its own. Does that mean there is no need to use a supplement? Well, no. Unfortunately, for the majority of people, the quantity your body generates and produces on its own is insufficient to significantly alter your health, strength, muscular growth, performance, or cognitive abilities. Consequently, you must eat meals high in creatine, such as fish or meat, or you may simplify the entire process by utilizing a quality creatine supplement.
Related Product: MuscleSport Creatine Revolution (100% Pure Creatine Monohydrate)
Creatine is made in trace amounts by your body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Glycine, arginine, and methionine are the three amino acids used in its synthesis. It is, therefore, easily available for use as an energy source when required since it is stored in the body as creatine phosphate (CP).
What Can Creatine Do for You?
Creatine’s primary function is to aid in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is an energy source needed by your cells. Since we don’t sandbag our training sessions, the requirement and demand for ATP rises while you train hard.
Essentially, creatine acts as an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) phosphate donor, allowing you to replace ATP and increase the intensity of your training sessions. You need enough ATP to keep you going in order to make the most of each muscle contraction in each set.
Creatine Benefits
Creatine isn’t the most researched supplement in the world for no reason. It’s one of the most highly used supplements due to the vast benefits it can support.
With each published study, we learn more and more about why creatine is such an important supplement and why everyone should consider adding it to their supplement regimen. The fact of the matter is that whether you train regularly or not, creatine can even provide couch potatoes with some fantastic benefits.
Below are some of the benefits associated with using a creatine supplement, as well as the research that backs up each benefit and claim.
1. Improve Muscle Growth
Increasing lean muscle mass is one of the key purposes for which individuals use creatine supplements. In fact, a study carried out by researchers revealed that creatine was the most helpful supplement when compared to other supplements commonly found online and on retailer shelves. Creatine has been found to be one of the most popular supplements utilized by people trying to improve their physique due to its capacity to assist with muscle growth. By forcing water into the muscle cells and creating a “pump” sensation, creatine also has a natural volumizing effect.
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One of the most significant pieces of research out there, a 6-week study, found that people who used creatine in their exercise and supplementation routine were able to build 4.4 pounds more muscle than the placebo group.
2. Increase Strength
The capacity to build strength has several benefits, regardless of whether you aim for personal records in particular lifts, like trying to raise your bench, squat, deadlift, or increase strength to help in athletics.
One benefit of having more strength is that it may make daily tasks easier, like carrying heavy things around the house, which is one such task. A stronger muscle tends to be bigger because it has more muscle fibers (think along the lines of hypertrophy training). When used as a supplement, creatine has been shown to help boost strength.
3. Elevate Performance
When it comes to enhancing performance in athletics and particular sports, athletes need a diversified approach. For instance, from a performance perspective, athletes must concentrate on developing their recovery, endurance, power, and more in addition to their strength.
Creatine has been shown in studies to improve athletic performance. In fact, according to one piece of published research, those who use creatine can boost their overall performance by as much as 15%.
4. Amplify Energy Levels
As was previously discussed above, creatine serves to restore cellular energy levels by converting ADP into ATP. Your energy levels may quickly drop when training intensely, which can cause weariness and exhaustion.
Creatine supplements can aid with the resynthesis of ATP and provide you the capacity to amplify energy levels and continue exercising at maximal intensities to help you overcome this problem and keep up your energy and performance during brutally intense bouts of exercise.
5. Minimize Fatigue
You may decrease exhaustion and alleviate fatigue by increasing your energy levels. Delaying physical exhaustion might enhance your overall physique performance in general.
As your performance increases, it may increase your ability to exert more effort and push yourself farther during training sessions. According to research, creatine can help you feel less fatigue and provide you with an ergogenic edge.
6. Support Brain Health & Cognition
The ability of creatine to support and enhance brain health and function is one of the more recent advantages that is grabbing the attention of almost everyone. Similar to how your muscles need ATP when you work out, your brain needs ATP to operate at its best.
Creatine has been shown to aid in raising ATP levels in the brain, which is crucial for completing energy-exhaustive tasks. Additionally, the fact that none of us are growing any younger emphasizes the need for taking creatine supplements since it may help prevent neurological problems and age-related muscle loss.
The Advantage of Enhanced Creatine Formulas
In my opinion, between the muscle-building potential and the fact that creatine can improve brain health, everyone should be using creatine. While creatine monohydrate is perfectly fine as a standalone supplement, you have the ability to compound the effects of creatine monohydrate when you use it to create an advanced and enhanced creatine formula.
For example, MuscleSport Creatine + Hydration is an innovative combination of scientifically-backed creatine monohydrate and hydration ingredients. Why is this important? For the same reason, we want creatine to help us flood our muscles with fluid and maintain proper hydration.
MuscleSport Creatine + Hydration is a unique combination of creatine monohydrate, taurine, Himalayan pink salt, coconut water, our trademarked ElectroREV™ electrolyte complex, and patented Astragin®, formulated for the next level of creatine utilization, cellular hydration, volumization, and performance.