You hear all about creatine and its benefits, and more than ever, it’s advertised for health. So what is it, and do you need it?

What Is Creatine?

Creatine, first and foremost, is naturally occurring in animal proteins. In particular, red meat and fish, but you would have to eat a pretty significant amount of those proteins to REALLY benefit from their creatine levels so it’s easiest to supplement with a creatine monohydrate supplement.

What Does It Do?

So what does it do? Creatine helps to prevent dehydration, aids in faster recovery, helps with cognitive function, helps you to lift more, and some users even report lifting from their brain fog. I, for one, can say it has helped me with ALL of the above.

So here is the super short version without being too scientific. Creatine acts as an osmotic agent, or let’s say a sponge, drawing water directly into your muscle cells, which increases intracellular hydration. So think fuller muscles, not under skin bloating with water. Creatine supplementation can improve your muscles’ glycogen storage capacity. So basically, because your muscle is now larger because it’s loaded with more water, it can hold more glycogen. More glycogen in your muscles means more energy to lift and push heavy weights! More lifting and going heavy means more muscle growth! That’s priority one!

Additional Benefits

• Creatine supports intestinal cells that form the gut lining, helping maintain tight junctions and preventing intestinal permeability (leaky gut). It has also been shown to help with reducing inflammation in the gut. Reduced gut inflammation can lead to better nutrient absorption! Double win!
• Creatine supports cognitive improvements. We all can use a little brain boost! This is most pronounced in vegans and vegetarians, or the population who eats very little animal protein in general, but even regular meat eaters will get benefits! By supplementing creatine, your body can regenerate ATP (your body’s primary cellular energy source) faster, which leads to faster all-around reaction time, including brain function!

Is Creatine Safe?

Some people think of creatine as this bad kind of supplement similar to steroids, however, it’s not even close. Your body actually does make its own creatine in the liver, kidneys and pancreas but only 1-2g worth. Creatine is not (as has never been) a banned substance (not even close) and is considered safe for normal healthy individuals. Consuming a creatine supplement in combination with a carbohydrate can enhance uptake of creatine and is found to be most beneficial if taken after your training session. If you aren’t currently taking creatine expect to gain a couple pounds initially from the excess water which fills up your muscles and makes you look more jacked and prepare for some gains!

Suggested Usaged

All you need is 5mg of supplemented creatine daily and you are good to go. I recommend the powder form that you can mix in with drinks as it’s most bioavailable for your body and it’s odorless and tasteless. There is also a pill and gummy form available out there, however research shows their uptake is not quite as good as the powder form.

Note: People with kidney problems should only use creatine under medical guidance

Stay Swole!

~ Coach Ame