Creatine Supplements - Does Creatine Actually Build Muscle?

Creatine monohydrate is an amino acid that helps with energy production in cells throughout the human body. Creatine plays a part in converting into creatine phosphate, which is later used to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Creatine can be found in tablets, sports drinks, energy bars, powders, steak, different types of fish and other available products. Creatine can be used by athletes, bodybuilders and other individuals to increase muscle size and strength. It is highly recommended for lifters to consume creatine when mixed with water and simple carbohydrates. A few examples of simple carbohydrates are fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, bananas and oranges. Water is naturally stored in each muscle cell and with the help of creatine, this can enlarge all muscles while actively lifting heavy weights at least three times per week. Creatine can provide the right push on a high carbohydrate diet to help pack on muscle mass and boost a lifter's overall strength in the weight room. Most creatine in the human body can be found in muscles.

Which natural foods contain creatine?

• Red meats
• Beef
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Sushi
• Chicken
• Turkey
• etc.

According to WebMD, there are a few side effects to athletes consuming creatine. Although I have not personally experienced any of these side effects in my years of consuming the supplement, everyone is different. The most common side effects are diarrhea, fever, nausea, anxiety, headaches, kidney complications (probably for those with a past of kidney issues) and other problems. DO NOT take creatine supplements when combined with certain prescribed medications. Always check with a doctor beforehand for better clarity. Try not to rely solely on answers from Google. For those with any past or current kidney problems, it is highly recommended to avoid high protein diets along with creatine supplementation. Individuals should always consult a physician prior to purchasing and consuming creatine, if he or she has any preexisting health disorders. This applies especially for diabetics and hypoglycemics.

Although the supplement can certainly help with bodybuilding goals in terms of building bigger muscles and improving strength, no evidence indicates that creatine helps individuals for long distance running. However, track athletes can still take creatine supplements for extra strength in the weight room. Consistent hip abductor workouts are great for runners achieving a quick boost in speed, so creatine can be useful for anaerobic workouts. To take creatine supplements correctly, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout your daily diet along with consuming potassium and carbohydrates. Try not to take more servings than what the directions state on each supplement label. The recommended amount of creatine lifters should consume in a day is about 5 grams.

• If 5 grams of creatine is consumed every single day, individuals are expected to increase their water and fluid intake by at least 17 ounces (.5 liters). When in doubt while supplementing with creatine, drink more water. There are some bodybuilders, who carry around the 1 gallon jugs of water throughout their daily lives. Although this might be a bit much, it is reasonable for athletes and other hardworking people who are burning a lot of calories each day while draining fluids. On a hot summer day, this is a great idea.

I wish I could say I've had the best success with creatine supplements but unfortunately, I personally haven't. Needless to say, creatine will not work for everyone to build massive muscles. If an individual overtrains his or her muscles each week, taking doses of creatine will seem like a waste of time. It's true, overtraining in general is a natural killer for physical fitness goals with pretty much any supplement. Try not to let it happen. Ectomorphs may still struggle to build massive muscles with creatine supplements. There are creatine pills on the market, and then there are powders. Both types can be found on Amazon, at Walmart stores, Target stores, GNCs and other places. Although I did not have as much success with creatine as other lifters, I would still recommend the powder supplements over the pill tablets. The powder supplements are still fantastic for helping lifters meet their physical fitness goals when combined with a nutritious, well-balanced diet.

For strength training and adding additional mass to one's frame, creatine can work when combined with a diet high in carbohydrates. It is recommended for bodybuilders, football players, powerlifters and other athletes and individuals to consume creatine both before and after lifting weights. Creatine is similar to every other supplement. It's not an "overnight success" supplement but then again, which supplement is defined as such? Diets high in protein, calories, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals with a moderate amount of fat can better help individuals to build bigger muscles. Creatine does work over an extended period of time when combined with an anaerobic weight lifting regimen. Having said that, the results will definitely vary from person to person. Individuals might not have the best experience with taking creatine supplements if they aren't motivated enough to lift weights three to five times per week while consuming enough daily fluids.

Creatine is a great supplement for muscle building. What might not work for someone, could easily work well for another individual. Different body-types will almost always have different results for both food and supplement intake. As an ectomorph, I still personally prefer weight gainers and splurging on high-calorie meals over creatine powders and tablets, but feel free to combine creatine supplements with your daily diet, if you feel this is absolutely essential for making muscle gains. Don't forget, drinking a lot of water is necessary while consuming creatine for strength gains and muscle growth as well. According to the Water Science School, muscles are about 79% water. Not drinking enough water with creatine can not only potentially damage your eternal organs, but it will make the supplement borderline useless altogether for future physical fitness goals. Creatine will naturally increase muscle size when combined with heavy weight lifting sessions and lots of fluid consumption.

If you're still skeptical on trying any particular creatine supplement, there is one cheap product that you might be interested in. After first consulting a doctor to double check to make sure that you don't have any preexisting health issues, try one scoop of the Body Fortress Super Advanced Creatine - Muscle & Strength Builder. This creatine powder supplement is available at most Wal-Mart stores. If one scoop is used, there are 50 servings per container. In one scoop, there is 70 calories, 12 grams of total carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, 126 milligrams of phosphorus, 100 milligrams of sodium and 80 milligrams of potassium. Additionally, there is 4 grams of creatine monohydrate/creatine hydrochloride, 1.25 grams of betaine anhydrous and 1.5 grams of a nitro-amino complex consisting of taurine, glycine, L-Glutamine, L-Leucine, isoleucine and L-Valine in only one scoop. So, there are 8 grams of creatine in two full scoops. However, there are a few color dyes used in this supplement, such as FD&C red no. 40, blue no. 1 and red no. 40 lake. On the bright side, there is no aspartame in this supplement and it's gluten free. The fruit punch flavor tastes the best. This is a good supplement for beginners.