What Is Creatine?
Okay, so creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found primarily in muscle tissue; it plays a vital role in energy metabolism by helping supply energy to the cells, mainly in your muscle cells! Creatine is produced in small amounts by the body. The body’s pancreas, liver, and kidneys make about 1 gram of creatine daily. It can also be obtained by eating particular foods such as red meat and fish ( also both excellent sources of protein )
Creatine can also be taken as a dietary supplement, the most common and researched being creatine monohydrate; numerous types are also available. Supplements will have a lot of studies done against them. Still, creatine has hundreds… suggesting a big effect on body composition and performance has been found to increase muscle strength and improve exercise results because it increases the availability of a compound called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the muscle cells, which is a primary source of energy used by muscles during workouts that are high intensity, even short duration activities such as sprinting and weight lifting. Creatine is widely used among athletes, gym goers, and even professional bodybuilders! Who swears it helps endurance, power, size, and muscle strength. You may build muscle more quickly and get stronger faster.
- What is creatine
- Benefits of creatine
- Our top picks at Shapeshift
- How to take creatine
- is creatine considered a steroid?
- Conclusion
We have tested and reviewed many top brands to tell you what we think the best are to serve many goals and fitness needs; see below for our picks, discuss the benefits of creatine, and answer questions about this super supplement.
Benefits Of Taking Creatine:
- 1. Helps the muscle cells produce more energy
Creatine will help increase the energy produced in the muscle by increasing something called phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine plays a vital role in forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source for all the cells in the body; ATP is broken down extremely quickly to provide energy for muscle contraction! The rate at which ATP is resynthesized can limit the ability to perform to your maximum intensity. Creatine helps boost the stores of phosphocreatine which will help increase the resynthesis rate of ATP; in turn, this will give your muscles a more readily available energy source, meaning that it will improve the capacity to perform at high levels of intensity.
- 2. Supports other functions in your muscles
It is widely used and an effective supplement for building muscle mass; it works by activating the other cellular pathways that encourage muscle growth; the proteins that form new muscle fibers increases, raising the levels of the hormone that builds muscle called IGF – 1 and increases the water content in the muscles, this is called cell volumization, this will result in a quick increase in muscle size, some studies have even suggested that creatine reduces the level of myostatin, a molecule that limits muscle growth, resulting in faster muscle development!
- 3. The rate of muscle growth will increase
Globally, creatine is considered to be the most effective supplement for increasing muscle mass, short term usage of creatine in 5-7 days has been shown to result in a significant change and growth in lean body weight and the size of the muscle; the effect is caused by the higher amount of water content in the muscle/ long term this also supports muscle fiber growth by unlocking critical biological pathways and enhancing gym performance People who used creatine for a 6-week training plan gained on average 4.4 pounds more of muscle than a group that consisted of no one on creatine. Studies have also shown an apparent increase in muscle mass in people taking creatine than those who do not, even being on the same training plan. This concluded that creatine is the best supplement available. It is also affordable and safer than many other things on the market.
- 4. May fight diabetes and lower blood sugar
Creatine supplements may lower the sugar levels in your blood by increasing how glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4). This is a molecule that brings blood sugar into your muscles. A study was carried out over 12 weeks to examine how creatine affects blood sugar levels and eating a meal high in carbs. Combined with exercise,
those who took creatine showed greater blood sugar control than those who did not take the supplement. The faster the body gets rid of sugar from the blood, the better, These results are very optimistic, but more research is needed to be carried out on the long-term benefits of blood sugar control.
- 5. Creatine is easy and safe to use
Creatine is a cost-effective and safe supplement option! It is easily found online and has been studied for over 200 years; if that does not make you feel safe, I do not know what will… Even studies have shown that long-term use is safe; trials lasting 5 years have reported no adverse side effects in healthy individuals. It is very very straightforward to supplement with creatine, requiring only 3-5 grams of powder per day ( monohydrate )
Our Top Picks At Shapeshift:
Optimum Nutrition is an excellent brand to choose when choosing creatine; the powder is designed to blend easily and has no bad textures or a sharp/ gritty taste. This is because it is made with creapure high purity monohydrate made in Germany by AlzChem, a monohydrate highly judged on its excellent purity and small particles. This means it will mix well and stay suspended in the drink you decide to put it in; this prevents any residue from sticking to the bottom. The flavors available are Strawberry, Vanilla, and our favorite chocolate! Has unflavoured options too. Optimum Nutrition is globally recognized for its quality of products, so you are in the safest hands possible; one purchase will set you back a generous 186 servings, so buying another will not be an option for a while.
is designed to be easy to use and an easy-to-mix formula for the different package sizes that will cater to all types of workout schedules; the brand is highly reputable with many 5-star reviews on Amazon, offering both tablet form and powder options as well! The creatine supplement is considered one of the best because of its clean and smooth consistency and budget-friendly pricing
The Myprotein brand is trendy and has delicious products; this creatine is very budget-friendly and offers good bang for its buck. It has no added filler, but it is also not micronized; like some higher-end products, it still is a lot of creatine for the price you are paying, so if you have a tighter budget, this may be the one for you. The smoothness may not be as good but if this does not worry you, buy away! Myprotein has always had a high reputation, so you will always go right when purchasing this product. The brand offers a clean unflavored powder and two flavored options, Berry Burst and Tropical V2, for those who prefer taste ( i know we do )
Bulk supply creatine comes in powder form and tablet form like optimum nutrition; tablets are a great option if you are in a rush, on the move, looking for a quick fix, or even if you don’t want the fuss of weighing out the portions when you take it. It is made from a high-quality source of creatine with a 99.9% purity; others can have 5% impurities. The powder can be easily mixed if you decide on the powder version. Bulk suggests you take it with water or whey protein after a workout. The flavors are also unflavored, lime, Apple, and Mixed Berry.
Cellucor’s C4 Original Beta Alanine Sports Nutrition Bulk Pre Workout Powder is a supplement to take before working out; this contains 1500mg of micronized creatine monohydrate, 150mg of caffeine, and 1600mg of studied carbon Beta-Alanine, which helps to regulate the acid build up in the muscles, a primary cause of muscle fatigue, Beta-alanine is there to boost production of something called carnosine, this will definitely boost performance for your training. Also has 1000mg of arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate. The combo of these ingredients will help promote muscle growth!
The Iron labs creatine Xtreme is a capsule-based supplement designed for significant fitness enthusiasts; it has 3900mg of creatine per serving and contains vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin B12. The serving suggestion is 3 capsules twice daily in the morning and evening; the pill is quite large, so if you do not like swallowing them, you may prefer to get powder creatine. But the extra nutrients you get from this one are worth the purchase.
This creatine is a vegan-friendly, micronized powder and is very easy to mix and consume with what you choose; the flavors available are Savage strawberry and Blazin berry. It will provide great taste; it is also 100% creatine and provides all the benefits of high-quality creatine monohydrate without any side effects! Designed for MMA fighters, boxers, heavy gymgoers, and even BJJ practitioners.
The creatine chews come in two flavors, Strawberry and Mint. 5 g grams of creatine are in each chew, so if you are on the move or want to take a pack to the gym with you, this is quickly done; the package has 100 chews so this will last you a while depending on how you implement them into your routine.
PE Nutrition’s Performance Creapure is unflavoured creatine; it can be easily added to any drink or food you choose, in a protein shake, smoothie, or even protein pancakes and banana muffins. We love that it does not include any aftertaste either; each serving will contain 5g of creatine, making it a budget-friendly option! This creatine is also vegetarian-quality-assured, making it suitable for those who are following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
This powder is a brilliant option for vegetarians and vegans; it is allergen-free, lactose-free, GMO-free, sugar-free, and even gluten-free! The large bag will supply you with 7 months worth when taken daily, that is over half a year! Each serving again contains 5g of creatine; you will get a serving scoop that comes with it for easy dosing; the powder is unflavoured, so if you want to taste, this may not be your option.
How To Take Creatine
Creatine supplements can be taken quickly. As we said, creatine monohydrate is the most researched form; studies suggest that the most effective way to take creatine and increase your levels is to take 5g of monohydrate a day four or five times for 5-7 days. However, the amount may change based on the individual’s weight. Calculating your daily dosage for the loading phase is multiplying your weight in kilograms by 0.3; after the loading phase, a dose of 3-5 grams can help maintain high levels of muscle creatine. Once you stop taking the supplement, it is essential to note that creatine levels will return to normal; a loading phase may not be necessary. Still, it is an efficient and safe way to maximize muscle stores of creatine, leading to increased muscle mass and strength, improved performance, and reduced risk of sport-related injuries.
Is Creatine Classed as a Steroid?
There are many misconceptions surrounding creatine, with some falsely claiming that it is an anabolic steroid, which is not suitable for women or teenagers, or only for use by professional athletes and bodybuilders; the international society of sports nutrition considers creatine a highly safe and trustworthy supplement to take! Studies have shown no adverse effects from creatine use, even after 21 months of supplementation. Creatine has been used to treat various diseases and health conditions, such as concussions, diabetes, and muscle loss.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creatine is a very safe supplement to take; this is why it is popular and well – researched that is widely used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The top 10 we have chosen for you, from budget-friendly to the more premium blends, so if you are looking to choose, we hope we have helped you make your decision! So, will you be adding creatine to your plan?