Creatine increases the rate of ATP (energy) regeneration durring exercise which may enable the user to lift a given weight for a few additional reps.
Creatine increases the rate of muscle gylcogen synthesis via glycogen synthase, the enzyme that stores muscle glycogen. This may improve recovery between workouts.
Creatine improves muscular water retention which may help create a more anabolic environment.
Hey there! I hope all is well with you. Thanks for stopping by!
Flax and fish oils can be very beneficial for certain people. When taking them in capsule form the dosage may become an issue.
A person attempting to get a larger dose may have to swallow 10-20 pills at a time. I have some fish oil capsules at the moment that are 1 gram of fat per capsule. For me to get the amount I want I have to consume 15 pills at once! I'd much rather take 1 tbsp of the liquid (the comparable amount) with my shake. People who aren't trying to get as much fat from them aren't going to have this issue.
Other than that, what's inside the capsule is the same as what's in the liquid.
Once benefit to taking the capsule form is that they are a bit more stable than the liquid form and thus don't need to be refrigerated. This could be good for you if you are storing them at work and you don't have access to a frig. Many health food/supplement stores only stock the capsules for this reason. They don't have a refrigerator.
As with many supplements dealing with anabolism and muscle growth, creatine is best taken either before or after your workout. I prefer to take a powdered micronized creatine with my post workout meal wich includes ample carbs and protein to ensure insulin release. Insulin seems to enhance creatine absorption.
Creatine works great with about 75% of the people who take it, with the other's not so much. When taking it, you will need to drink more fluids because it pulls fluid out of the blood and puts it into the muscles; this makes your blood thicker. Even though increasing fluid intake with Creatine use is recommended in most cases if you don't know major problems will follow (other than 3% blood fluid loss = 10% power output loss) . However, if you are trying to "make weight" for a competition and limit fluid intake you may turn you blood into sludge and cause health problems. If you are an endurance athlete and you don't up your water intake you heart will have to work harder to move the blood in your system, which will hinder performance big time. Plus, with the added fluid retained in your muscles you'll be lugging around an added 5-10lbs. Creatine is naturally produced by our body in the liver, kidneys and I think the pancreases. It's also found in fish and red meat but is easily destroyed by heat (cooking).
When explosive movements are used ATP levels drop very quickly. When ATP levels drop, the muscle become fatigued so, regeneration of ATP is needed if muscle fatigue is to be delayed. Since Creatine is used to make more ATP supplementing in most people can be very helpful for reducing fatigue during explosive movements such as lifting weights or sprinting. I know ATP is needed for cell division, and normal nerve function as well as moving muscles but I am unsure if extra Creatine can help other bodily functions other then muscle movement. To get more into how Creatine works, energy is produced when a phosphate separates from a molecule of ATP. It then becomes ADP; Creatine turns ADP back into ATP. Creatine also allows most people to store more ATP. Also, Creatine buffers lactic said which will allow an athlete to exercise longer and harder with less discomfort.
Creatine can increase muscle mass (but you need to resistance train for this to happen) but it's what is more important is that it allows you to do more work in the gym so that muscle gains can be made more quickly.
Creatine is best taken with dextrose (grape juice would be a good choice) either before or after workouts. I really like TORCH PREBURN creatine and feel that it's the best for pre workout (you can find it here: http://www.marketamerica.com/ironman/index.cfm?action=shopping.wpBrandsDetail&brandCode=288) A loading phase is a good idea but not necessary, if you don't load optimal results will take about 1 week longer to achieve. I also recommend cycling Creatine, if you are new to cycling a good starting practice would be take Creatine for one month then let it wash out for one month, then repeat. I found that is best to take Creatine before and after a workout. Split your serving in half, take ½ serving before you workout and ½ immediately following your workout.
Creatine is still pretty new so even though (as far as I know) there aren't any known long term negative side effects, I'd be careful with its use.
6 comments:
I'm taking creatine to increase size and strength. I know it makes you stronger but how does it work? When should I take it? Thanks!
Creatine has several mechanisms of action:
Creatine increases the rate of ATP (energy) regeneration durring exercise which may enable the user to lift a given weight for a few additional reps.
Creatine increases the rate of muscle gylcogen synthesis via glycogen synthase, the enzyme that stores muscle glycogen. This may improve recovery between workouts.
Creatine improves muscular water retention which may help create a more anabolic environment.
Best of Luck!
Are oil supplements, such as flaxseed oil, as good as taking the oil in liquid form?
P.S. - blogging! great idea!!
Hey there! I hope all is well with you. Thanks for stopping by!
Flax and fish oils can be very beneficial for certain people. When taking them in capsule form the dosage may become an issue.
A person attempting to get a larger dose may have to swallow 10-20 pills at a time. I have some fish oil capsules at the moment that are 1 gram of fat per capsule. For me to get the amount I want I have to consume 15 pills at once! I'd much rather take 1 tbsp of the liquid (the comparable amount) with my shake. People who aren't trying to get as much fat from them aren't going to have this issue.
Other than that, what's inside the capsule is the same as what's in the liquid.
Once benefit to taking the capsule form is that they are a bit more stable than the liquid form and thus don't need to be refrigerated. This could be good for you if you are storing them at work and you don't have access to a frig. Many health food/supplement stores only stock the capsules for this reason. They don't have a refrigerator.
Keep up the good work!
Further response to the creatine question:
As with many supplements dealing with anabolism and muscle growth, creatine is best taken either before or after your workout. I prefer to take a powdered micronized creatine with my post workout meal wich includes ample carbs and protein to ensure insulin release. Insulin seems to enhance creatine absorption.
more on creatine...
Creatine works great with about 75% of the people who take it, with the other's not so much. When taking it, you will need to drink more fluids because it pulls fluid out of the blood and puts it into the muscles; this makes your blood thicker. Even though increasing fluid intake with Creatine use is recommended in most cases if you don't know major problems will follow (other than 3% blood fluid loss = 10% power output loss) . However, if you are trying to "make weight" for a competition and limit fluid intake you may turn you blood into sludge and cause health problems. If you are an endurance athlete and you don't up your water intake you heart will have to work harder to move the blood in your system, which will hinder performance big time. Plus, with the added fluid retained in your muscles you'll be lugging around an added 5-10lbs.
Creatine is naturally produced by our body in the liver, kidneys and I think the pancreases. It's also found in fish and red meat but is easily destroyed by heat (cooking).
When explosive movements are used ATP levels drop very quickly. When ATP levels drop, the muscle become fatigued so, regeneration of ATP is needed if muscle fatigue is to be delayed. Since Creatine is used to make more ATP supplementing in most people can be very helpful for reducing fatigue during explosive movements such as lifting weights or sprinting. I know ATP is needed for cell division, and normal nerve function as well as moving muscles but I am unsure if extra Creatine can help other bodily functions other then muscle movement.
To get more into how Creatine works, energy is produced when a phosphate separates from a molecule of ATP. It then becomes ADP; Creatine turns ADP back into ATP. Creatine also allows most people to store more ATP. Also, Creatine buffers lactic said which will allow an athlete to exercise longer and harder with less discomfort.
Creatine can increase muscle mass (but you need to resistance train for this to happen) but it's what is more important is that it allows you to do more work in the gym so that muscle gains can be made more quickly.
Creatine is best taken with dextrose (grape juice would be a good choice) either before or after workouts. I really like TORCH PREBURN creatine and feel that it's the best for pre workout (you can find it here: http://www.marketamerica.com/ironman/index.cfm?action=shopping.wpBrandsDetail&brandCode=288) A loading phase is a good idea but not necessary, if you don't load optimal results will take about 1 week longer to achieve. I also recommend cycling Creatine, if you are new to cycling a good starting practice would be take Creatine for one month then let it wash out for one month, then repeat. I found that is best to take Creatine before and after a workout. Split your serving in half, take ½ serving before you workout and ½ immediately following your workout.
Creatine is still pretty new so even though (as far as I know) there aren't any known long term negative side effects, I'd be careful with its use.
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