Creatine is usually chief among
supplements when it comes to potential buyers seeking information and research. It polarises opinion with some people mistaking it for being a steroid (it's not) while others singing its praises as a performance improving supplement. It certainly has some compelling benefits and should definitely be a supplement that is at the very least considered for your supplement stack. In this blog, we'll explain why it deserves a place on your supplement shopping list.
What is creatine and where does it come from?
It can be found in both meat and fish. It is also produced by the body in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. It is then converted into creatine phosphate and stored in the muscles where it is used as a direct energy source for high intensity exercise.
How it works
Layne Norton outlines the method by which creatine helps us improve our performance. When it enters our muscle cells it will form into creatine phosphate for storage in our muscles as mentioned before. This creatine phosphate will give its phosphate group to ADP (Adenosine Di-phosphate) allowing it to re-form ATP (Adenosine Tri-phosphate) which is one of the body's primary fuel sources. Creatine phosphate allows ATP to be synthesised much faster than it otherwise would be, giving you greater reserves of quick-release energy that will allow you to optimise your workout.
Benefits
can offer a host of benefits for athletes or individual who engages in heavy resistance training, high intensity exercise or even endurance training (Cooper et al, 2012). The following are the benefits from creatine supplementation you can look forward to:
It's ability to amplifying the effects of resistance training for enhancing strength and hypertrophy have been widely documented (Cooper et al). In addition, a study (Brose et al, 2003) that involved twenty-eight healthy men and women, over the age of 65 years engaging in a full body resistance exercise program 3 days per week for 14 weeks showed that creatine supplementation also improved isometric strength.
The same study that showed it's benefits on isometric strength also documented the increase in fat-free mass among participants who were given creatine alongside this structured and closely supervised heavy resistance exercise training program.
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Energy boost and enhanced performance
The additional reserves of quick-release energy in the muscles enhances performance of exercises, however, studies (Cooper et al, 2012) have shown that the longer exercise is drawn out the more the benefits of it will diminish.
Getting your creatine
It can be found naturally in food but for optimal results, supplementation is an avenue worth exploring. We stock only the best products on the market from the leading brands in the world. Our team of fitness dedicated staff are on hand and happy to walk you through your options and help you find a fit that's best for you.
References
Cooper, R., Naclerio, F., Allgrove, J., & Jimenez, A. (2012). Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9, 33. http://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-9-33
Brose A,
Parise G,
Tarnopolsky MA (2003) Creatine supplementation enhances isometric strength and body composition improvements following strength exercise training in older adults.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 58(1):11-9. Powerhouse is your dedicated partner in reaching your fitness goals. We stock only the best supplements, sourced from the world's leading brands in health and fitness. If you're looking for quality creatine or advice on supplementation,
get in touch today and reach your goals.
