The world of fitness has seen all sorts of nutritional supplements used by athletes and sportspeople to boost their performance. However, not all of them have survived the test of time and the outcome of thorough scientific research about their properties.
Among the many options to be currently found in the marketplace, creatine stands out as one of the most complete and widely analyzed. Proof of this is the increasing implementation among users and its growing reputation as a leading product – it crossed the 250-million-dollar mark in 2022 and is projected to reach 500 million by the end of the decade.
In this new article we will uncover everything about the properties of creatine and all the reasons behind its popularity.
Enter CREATINE UNCOVERED!
WHAT IS CREATINE EXACTLY?
Simply put, creatine is an amino acid that your body produces naturally at an approximate rate of 1 gram a day. Then it is distributed to tissues like the brain and muscles, which are in high demand of energy.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
Scientific consensus states that creatine intake will help you increase muscle size, lean body mass, and strength, improve your endurance, increase your power output, and enhance recovery times after exercise.
But more on all that later.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Good question. Let’s clarify some basic information beforehand.
The active form of creatine is phosphocreatine, which helps the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is a key molecule used by your cells for energy and other basic life functions. During physical activity, ATP is broken down to produce energy. Since your body uses ATP faster than you resynthesize it, you are prevented from continually perform at maximum intensity.
And here is where creatine springs into action.
Creatine supplements increase your phosphocreatine stores, allowing you to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during high-intensity exercise. This way, creatine can amplify the effects on resistance training and enhance your strength and performance, as well as benefit your high intensity intermittent speed training and recovery after training, and bring positive effects on aerobic endurance performance and muscle mass increase.
tell me more about its benefits
Isn’t that enough? Don’t worry. There’s much more in store!
That’s right! Creatine plays a role in many other relevant aspects related to your muscle and performance.
For instance, it actively promotes the growth of muscle mass by boosting the formation of proteins that create new muscle fibers. Additionally, it can also raise levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone that also promotes an increase in muscle mass.
Moreover, creatine supplements promote a process called cell volumization, which rapidly increases size of your muscles by increasing the water content in muscle cells. This process is completely fat-free. Other studies lead to the conclusion that creatine decreases levels of myostatin, a molecule responsible for stunting muscle growth. This reduction of myostatin levels may also help you build muscle faster.
CREATINE'S ROLE IN MUSCLE INJURY
In this regard, medical studies have pointed out that creatine may prevent muscle soreness and help reduce the chance of getting hurt or sore after hard exercise.
About creatine’s role in medical rehabilitation, science suggests that it supports recovery from exercise by decreasing exercise-induced damage while also promoting muscular strength and endurance.
Other scientifically-backed properties of creatine in this aspect include cellular hydration, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress, effects on protein synthesis, and also a role in muscle building.
PERKS FOR NON-ATHLETES
Although creatine has built a name on its benefits for athletes and people involved in the world of sports and fitness, they are not the only lucky ones. Creatine will contribute to your physical health regardless of your predisposition to fitness or staying in shape.
Among its additional benefits, science has found that creatine can improve your cognitive function and bone health. Additionally, the regulation of blood sugar levels can be enhanced through creatine intake – which can be of great help for people suffering from diabetes. Further research points at creatine as a potential aid in the treatment of depression, and well as serving as a complementary creatine storage for vegans and vegetarians.
DID YOU JUST SAY VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS?
That’s right! Creatine is an extremely flexible supplement that adapts uniformly well to some of the most popular diets. For instance, creatine supplementation will help you increase your low vitamin B12 and creatine stores, and also boost your body mass and strength in case you have taken a vegan approach to dieting.
Another case: provided you have taken a Paleo-diet approach to your nutrition, the properties of creatine are compatible with the high protein intake derived from it – as long as the daily recommended dosage of 3-5 grams a day is respected. Creatine contains no calories nor will it cause a spike in insulin derived from glucose, so its intake is perfectly compatible with intermittent fasting.
The combination of ketogenic (low carb) diet and creatine is also promoted, given that this supplementation lowers triglycerides and can reduce fat accumulation in the liver.
SO, WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE?
Perhaps you are referring to one of many common myths associated with creatine and how it can negatively impact our body. However, there is no reason to be afraid. Fortunately, science has consistently debunked all these fake accusations which may have once originated by incomplete studies or misinterpreted information.
From fat mass increase and muscle cramping to water retention and dehydration, kidney and renal disfunction, acne, hair loss, and mood swings, every sIngle one of these myths about creatine have been thoroughly disproven by over 30 years of medical research. Post marketing surveillance, clinical trials, target-oriented research, and extended periods of analysis have shown enough consistency about its properties so as to leave no doubt about its reputation as one of the safest products in the market.
what we have uncovered so far
This new article CREATINE UNCOVERED has the aim of acting as a brief but complete enough summary of the main properties of creatine and the factors that have contributed to make it one of the most popular nutritional supplements around.
We have uncovered everything from its composition and basic functions to the main strokes on how it works. Additionally, we have provided information about many of its additional benefits – including those for non-athletes – and its relation with different popular diets. Last but not least, we have included information about its role in muscle injury and many of the myths surrounding its effects.
About the best option of creatine as a nutritional supplement, we recommend the unique formula of Clonapure®, which requires no loading phase and contains both creatine monohydrate and phosphocreatine. It is the one product in the market that gives you immediate energy for your muscles. This translates into more energy, shorter recoveries and better performance.
Clonapure® is manufactured in a GMP site and has its purity and quality consistently verified through continuous testing (HPLC). If you think the moment has come to give Clonapure® a go, try here!
