What is creatine?
Creatine is one of the supplements with the greatest scientific evidence and support within the fitness and sports field. Creatine is a compound that our body naturally produces in small doses, formed by 3 amino acids: Arginine, Methionine and Glycine.
More than 90% of the total creatine found in the body is located in the muscle tissue. It is synthesized naturally in the body, specifically in the liver, pancreas and kidneys.
Its main function occurs during physical activity: during it, our body consumes energy, and as a consequence, ATP levels are reduced; creatine is needed to help resynthesize this ATP and provide the body with high-intensity energy.
Despite being able to produce a certain amount every day, taking it through supplementation has proven to be an effective and truly useful ally for gaining strength and muscle mass. Creatine acts through a saturation mechanism, so it will fulfill its function regardless, to a great extent, of the time of day at which it is administered.
What types of creatine can you find?
There are a large number of types and variants of creatine on the market. The most relevant and widely used are creatine monohydrate and Kre-Alkalyn creatine.
Creatine monohydrate:
This type of creatine is the most scientifically supported and the most commonly chosen among physically active people. It has very strong evidence and a high safety profile when consumed.
To ensure that a creatine monohydrate supplement is of high quality, it is important to make sure that it bears the Creapure seal. Creapure is obtained when a product has a 99.95% composition, based on a purity test using HPLC High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph.
Although there are non-responders, most people generally do not have any problems when choosing this supplement.
Creatine Ethyl Ester
It is characterized by its rapid absorption and high bioavailability. It was created with the aim of improving the breakdown of creatinine at the stomach level, which can occur with other types of creatine when consumed. When this happens, its effectiveness decreases and certain properties may be lost before being processed by our body. Despite this, certain studies confirm that its effectiveness is no greater than that of creatine monohydrate.
Kre-Alkalyn creatine
To produce it and give it its specific characteristics, a process is carried out in which its pH is raised from 7 to 12 to increase the absorption rate. This formulation prevents its conversion into creatinine, which is excreted in the urine.
Other less conventional and harder-to-find types of creatine:
Creatine gluconate: glucose is added during its formulation with the aim that, when causing an insulin spike, it helps creatine enter the cells that need it at that moment. It is not recommended for diabetics.
Creatine Malate: it is formed by a combination of creatine and an energy precursor called malate. It is usually recommended and used for people suffering from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Creatine phosphate: it contains the phosphorylated form of creatine, that is, the molecule that accumulates inside the muscle cell to provide energy.
What are its benefits?
- Increases strength levels
- Improves sports performance
- Strong scientific evidence supporting its use
- Promotes energy production
- Provides a greater degree of cellular hydration
- Increases glucose metabolism.
- Helps delay the onset of muscle fatigue
- Promotes the maintenance of muscle mass
- Helps prevent muscle mass loss or catabolism
- Increases the capacity for energy resynthesis
- Helps reduce blood sugar levels
- Decreases LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
When should you take creatine and how much?
The dosage.
The dose per serving will depend on body weight.
0.1 grams per kilogram
Example: if you weigh 70 kg, the amount consumed per serving will be 7 grams.
You can start taking this amount from the beginning of supplementation. It is not necessary to have a loading and washout phase: this protocol, used for many years, is considered unnecessary due to the saturation mechanism through which it acts.
If we want to carry out a loading and washout phase, we will proceed as follows:
Loading phase: it is carried out over a period of between 5 and 7 days. We will divide 4 servings of 5 grams each throughout the day
Maintenance phase: as previously mentioned, 0.1 g per kg of body weight. The amount mentioned in the first lines of this section.
When to take it.
The time of day does not alter its effects.
A recommended time to take it could be after training, since this is when the muscle cells will have depleted their reserves.
Do you need to take a break from creatine?
No, it is not necessary to take a break from this supplement. It must be taken daily to notice the effects. It should also be taken on rest days.
Does creatine cause fluid retention?
No, the increase in fluids occurs at the cellular level, giving a more voluminous appearance in terms of muscle quality.
This effect has nothing to do with what is commonly known as fluid retention caused by poor kidney, liver or circulatory function.