Would you provide me with some information about CREATINE

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What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural substance first isolated in 1886 by a French chemist named Chevreul. It is found in highest concentration in lean red muscle tissue of animals and humans in the form of creatine phosphate. Creatine is a naturally occurring metabolite found in muscle tissue. It plays an important role in energy metabolism, and ATP reformulating. Muscle soreness, lactate build-up, and fatigue are a direct result of depleted ATP store. Creatine replenishes ATP stores, thus prolonging the time to fatigue. Creatine also increases available instant energy, increases muscular strength, improves endurance, and reduces levels of metabolic byproducts such as ammonia (Ammonia is produced at high levels during intense exercise, ammonia is partially responsible for muscular fatigue). From our experience, creatine supplementation results in significant muscle accumulation and increased muscular endurance. Weight gains from 4-14 pounds are common place with creatine supplementation. Creatine loading via supplemental feeding can also offer the potential for the following:

Improved Athletic Performance:
Maximizing the level of stored creatine (20% or more) by supplemental ingestion of Creatine Monohydrate, has been shown to extend peak athletic performance for longer periods during short duration, high intensity exercise. Stockpiling Creatine shortens the time necessary for the body to generate replacement Creatine, thus significantly reducing muscle recovery time between short duration, high intensity activities.

Increase Lean Muscle Mass:
Inactive or dystrophic muscle (such as occurs as a result of injury) has by nature reduced levels of Creatine. Supplementation with Creatine Monohydrate permits dystrophic muscle to work harder during therapy and rebuild itself to its normal state.

Correct Creatine Deficiencies:
Disease or age-related Creatine deficiencies in the brain and skeletal muscle can be improved by the oral administration of Creatine Monohydrate, helping to restore a more active, normal lifestyle.

How does creatine monohydrate work?
When muscles are used to lift a weight, or perform any type of work, ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is rapidly broken down to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) and energy is released. The amount of ATP stored in the muscle will only fuel a maximum effort such as weight lifting for 10 to 15 seconds. After that the muscle must rely on Creatine to restock its supply of ATP. The cycle is then repeated.

As the name implies, ATP has three phosphate molecules to one molecule of Adenosine. Energy is created when one of the phosphate molecules breaks away turning ATP into Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP), which is adenosine with only two phosphate molecules. The breaking of the bonds between these molecules produces all the energy the body requires to work. Creatine phosphate (CP) serves as an immediate backup to restore the missing phosphate bond.

How do I use creatine monohydrate?
The best way is to first use a loading phase, followed by a maintenance phase. The loading phase is the first step in which you build up the body's creatine levels. The maintenance phase is the next step in which you maintain these elevated creatine levels.

Loading Phase:
Most manufacturers suggest a five-day loading phase of creatine monohydrate consisting of the following schedule:

- 4 times daily if you weigh less than 190 pounds

- 5 times daily if you weigh between 190 and 220 pounds

- 6 times daily if you weigh over 220 pounds

Each serving of creatine monohydrate should be one rounded teaspoon- about five grams.

Maintenance Phase:
Take two to three teaspoons (10-15 grams) daily. Each teaspoon of creatine monohydrate should be spread out through the day. Read the "What is the best time of the day to take creatine monohydrate" below.

What is the best time of the day to take creatine monohydrate?
In either phase, creatine monohydrate should be taken on an empty stomach. The creatine monohydrate should be taken with a high glycemic substance such as grape juice. It is especially important to take creatine monohydrate immediately after your workout to quickly replenish the body's creatine stores.

Another especially important time to take creatine is about one hour before your workout. This will substantially raise your stored creatine levels to prevent creatine depletion during your workout.

Do you take it on days that you do not lift?
Yes, you will need to take it on a daily basis to maintain the level of storage in your system.

At what age can a person use creatine monohydrate?
People of all ages can use creatine monohydrate. For athletes, creatine monohydrate extends energy for intense workouts, for older people with active lifestyles, creatine monohydrate supplements the body's own creatine supply which becomes less abundant with age. As we get older, creatine production in the body decreases which reduces energy and muscle. Creatine monohydrate is available in a special formula for male athletes over 35 years of age. Teens in the former Soviet Union and eastern countries used the supplement since the age of 9 years. However, the dosage for teens is different than for adults.

What kind of sports will benefit most from creatine monohydrate?
Any sport activity that involves short intense bursts of energy will benefit from creatine monohydrate. That includes all sports except leisure sport activity such as chess, golf and bowling.

Are there any side effects?
Creatine monohydrate may help increase performance during short bouts of intense exercise. Research shows, however, your body must be able to break it down so it can accumulate in your muscles: One study showed that 30 percent of subjects taking creatine monohydrate could not process it. What's more, studies suggest that excessive amounts of creatine monohydrate can lead to kidney damage. Stabilized creatine monohydrate liquid eliminates such problems. Furthermore, actual users of the powdered creatine monohydrate reported upset stomachs, gas, muscle pulls or cramps. Diarrhea was also caused when they take more than the required dosage. Once the dosage is reduced, symptoms desist.

When using creatine monohydrate, MORE IS NOT BETTER. Taking more is not a good idea. The body has limited capacity to absorb creatine monohydrate and there's a ceiling to how much you can store in your muscles.

Is creatine monohydrate effective for aerobic or anaerobic activities?
Creatine monohydrate supplementation has been shown to increase performance in both types of activities.

Will creatine monohydrate make me buff and muscular?
Creatine monohydrate must be combined with exercise to get an effect. Without exercise, a person will experience extra energy, but muscles will not develop or grow harder without intense workout.

Will I lose fat using creatine monohydrate?
Most users reported that their body fat level dropped simultaneously with the increase in lean mass.

What is the effect of caffeine on creatine monohydrate?
Old research stated that caffeine neutralizes the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate. However, recent studies showed the opposite conclusion.

Are the benefits of creatine monohydrate backed by scientific proof?
YES! Research studies published in Britain's prestigious Clinical Science Journal clearly showed that athletes who took creatine monohydrate and exercised were able to increase muscle creatine dramatically.

How can creatine monohydrate help me build muscle mass?
It is important to note that muscle growth only occurs in response to increased demand placed on the muscle by the body, that is, by making the muscle work harder than it ever has before. Anyone seeking greater muscle mass must know that a muscle will only increase in size when stimulated by a greater workload. The increased overload may be achieved in three ways:

Increasing intensity
Increasing duration
Increasing frequency
Can creatine monohydrate be used with other supplements like vanadyl sulfate, protein shakes, chromium and DHEA?
Creatine monohydrate does not affect other supplements in a negative way.

Is creatine monohydrate stable in a liquid form?
Creatine monohydrate is unstable in a liquid form. In order for the supplement to be stable it has to pass through many stabilization steps which can only be created by educated scientists in a laboratory environment who are familiar with the detailed patented process required to perform this conversion.

Is creatine monohydrate recommended for women?
Creatine monohydrate is safe for both sexes. However, many women users of the powdered form report some side effects such as water retention, bloating and stomach cramps. Other forms of creatine monohydrate eliminate such problems

Do I need to cycle creatine monohydrate?
Cycling is a period of time where an athlete stops taking the supplement for short period and then resumes its use. It was used by steroid users to allow the body to recuperate from any stress or damage to the body. Creatine monohydrate is not harmful to the body and does not need to be cycled. The function of creatine monohydrate is to provide the body with energy reserves -- if cycled off, the reserve will require reloading again for 5 days. Please note that some athletes who cycled creatine monohydrate experienced little extra energy. Some articles and books about creatine monohydrate suggested cycling, but there is no definite agreement about this issue.

Will I lose muscle mass if I stop using creatine monohydrate?
You will not lose muscle by discontinuing creatine monohydrate supplementation, however, you will experience a decrease in strength.

What is the proper dosage of the powder creatine monohydrate?
Recommended dosages are shown under How do I use creatine monohydrate?

How can I tell good quality creatine monohydrate from bad creatine monohydrate?
Unfortunately, some companies mix their creatine monohydrate with fillers in order to maximize their profits. Creatine monohydrate powder is odorless and tasteless, so if you notice an odor or bitter taste, it indicates that it has been cut with other inexpensive ingredients. Use pharmaceutical grade creatine monohydrate only to ensure its purity.

Will my consumption of red meat and fish increase my creatine level naturally?
Red meat and fish naturally contain creatine. However, it is very impractical to supplement creatine through natural foods because of their low creatine content. For example, 2.2 lbs of raw round steak yields only 4 grams of creatine, some of which is lost in the digestion process, and some breaks down when the meat is cooked. This means you would have to consume ten to fifteen pounds of raw steak a day during the loading phase to load your body with creatine. Also a pound of raw steak contains 119g of fat, not to mention the high cholesterol. Such high levels of protein can cause kidney damage.

What about Caffeine and creatine monohydrate?
Caffeine was believed to neutralize the effect of creatine monohydrate. However, the latest studies recommend caffeine in moderation, one cup before workout because it facilitates the release of fatty acids and increases mental alertness.


Should creatine monohydrate be taken on en empty stomach?
Taking creatine monohydrate on en empty stomach will increase absorption, especially when combined with high glycemic drink. However, taking creatine monohydrate on an empty stomach may cause stomach cramps.

Is creatine monohydrate a steroid?
No. Creatine monohydrate is a natural, safe substance that already exists in the human body.

Is creatine monohydrate effective for vegetarians?
Yes. Vegetarians do not get as much creatine monohydrate in their diet as meat-eaters do, so creatine monohydrate is an excellent food supplement.

Does taking carbohydrates increase enhance the effect of creatine monohydrate?
Creatine monohydrate is absored best when taken in combination with a high glycemic carbohydrate drink on an empty stomach. A high glycemic carbohydrate drink is one that contains a high concentration of simple sugars. The most common carbohydrate drink is grape juice. Research has shown that taking creatine monohydrate along with a high glycemic carbohydrate drink increase the effect of creatine monohydrate due to insulin release stimulated by the simple sugars which play an effective part in transporting creatine into muscle cells. Studies have shown that when test subjects take creatine with these insulin-releasing carbohydrates, the creatine uptake is increased by over 50%!

Do I have to load again if I missed one or two days of maintenance?
1-2 days is not going to effect your storage of creatine provided you get it in your diet by eating meat, chicken or fish.

I would like to start using creatine monohydrate, however, my employer has random drug testing and would like to know if creatine monohydrate will cause me to test positive for any illegal substance?
Creatine monohydrate is neither a steroid nor a drug. It is naturally produced by the body and is contained in the foods we eat. The average human body contains over 100 grams of creatine. Creatine monohydrate is completely legal and permitted in all types of competition. No sports association or any government agency has tried to ban it. It is widely used even in international Olympic committee games.


If I use creatine monohydrate for few years then I decide to stop using it, will it cause any withdrawal symptoms or will it affect me in any way?
Most studies support the conclusion that halting the use of creatine monohydrate will not affect the person at all. Athletes have reported a decrease in energy and strength when they stop taking it after a long time of usage. It is worth mentioning that unlike other dangerous supplements such as steroids and growth hormones, creatine monohydrate is not an addictive supplement.

I am new to this supplement, creatine monohydrate, and I was wondering if it supposed to dissolve fully because when I take it, a lot of it settles and I must stir it constantly in order to get it all down?
Creatine monohydrate powder does not dissolve completely and it leaves some chalky taste. Stir it to disperse it and quickly drink it before it settles.


Disclaimer: The information provided above is for informational use only, and under no circumstances should the information herein be construed as medical advice or any other kind of recommendation. Always consult a doctor before taking any supplements. The information is provided as is without any express or implied warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, the maintainer and contributors cannot guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose and make no warranties. Furthermore, the maintainer and contributors assume no responsibility for any damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.