Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid occurring naturally in all vertebrates. It helps to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. The body manufactures stores and uses creatine for pursuits which require bursts of energy – like running at a high speed. It can be classified as a dietary health supplement, as one can consume, theoretically, enough creatine rich food – like red meat, to substitute supplementation. Bodybuilders, athletes and a vast majority of individuals following a fitness regime, resort to creatine supplements because it has proven to increase body mass and lean muscle formation, in a very short span of time.

Creatine is available in several forms in the market – phosphate, citrate and monohydrate. Among these, phosphates are not easily absorbed by the body, and thus do not yield effective results. The citrate form is gaining in popularity among users, yet industry analysts confirm that research about this product is few and far between. The most popular form of creatine is the monohydrate. Nearly all successful clinical trials have been on this form of creatine.

Creatine Supplements are available in various forms:

1. Powder: The majority of users use the powder form. It is recommended that creatine should be taken with a non – acidic drink. This is because creatine converts to creatinine in an acidic environment.  Grape juice is highly recommended as a drink to accompany creatine ingestion. It is also ok to mix creatine with other proteins. The disadvantage of taking powdered creatine is that a lot of it is wasted in the digestion process or simply left unabsorbed. This leads to indigestion and dehydration.
2. Pills:  Pills are available in various denominations of weights. The advantages and disadvantages of pills are mostly similar to powdered creatine. Pills are easier to ingest since they don’t have to be mixed anything.
3. Creatine Serum: Creatine can also be ingested in the liquid or serum form. There are numerous advantages in theory, to serum over powder. Creatine serum when gets ingested gets directly absorbed, which means less creatine serum produces same effects. However the major disadvantage of creatine serum is that creatine is unstable in solution and when left over a few minutes, starts to break into creatinine – a waste product.
4. Creatine Gum: Chewing gum with creatine is also available. The logic behind is that when the gum is chewed in the month creatine released can be easily absorbed.

Users generally start with a high dosage of their choice of Creatine supplement. This phase is called the Loading dose, which continues for a week. This is followed by the Maintenance dose for a month, during which users lower their dosage substantially. To complete the cycle, the users then stay off from Creatine for a week and then start to load again.

Users are advised to follow dosage specifications and schedules. Taking more Creatine usually results in a waste since excess Creatine is excreted by the body through urine. Users are advised not to skip servings or attempt to make up for missed servings by taking more Creatine in the next dose.

Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid occurring naturally in all vertebrates. Creatine helps to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. The body manufactures stores and uses creatine for pursuits which require bursts of energy – like running at a high speed. An average person weigh 150 lbs has the ability to manufacture around 120 grams of creatine, and uses up around 2 grams of creatine in daily pursuits. Creatine can be classified as a dietary health supplement, as one can consume, theoretically, enough creatine rich food – like red meat, to substitute supplementation.

A creatine diet improves performance in the gym and on field. Sporting performance of sprinters, football players and basket ball players, for example, have shown marked improvement with use of creatine supplements. It also helps in muscle re-growth – which means, one can gain up to 4 pounds in less than a week, with a creatine diet. Bodybuilders benefit hugely from a creatine diet – it has been shown to enhance maximal strength and accelerate lean muscle mass.

Creatine has quite often been likened to anabolic steroids, because it provides the user with higher amount of energy and increases lean muscle mass. But nothing could be further from truth. Though both anabolic steroids and creatine enhance performance, and both are ingested as supplements, the basic difference lies in the chemical structure of the two. Anabolic steroids like testosterone are hormones, while creatine is a protein available in the body.

Unexplained Side Effects:

Though creatine supplement marketers claim it doesn’t have any side effects and in fact benefits the body if used over a period of time, reports of users suffering from increased aggressiveness, anxiety, acne, male breast formation (Gynecomastia), a reduction in penis size, hair loss (men) and body hair growth (women). Of these, increased aggressiveness, acne and hair loss are the most frequently reported. Gastrointestinal complications have also been commonly reported among users of creatine supplements. Moreover, scientific studies have proved that increase in body mass from its use can be attributed to water retention by muscle. Use of creatine in sports, as a performance enhancer is controversial. Though it still remains one of the most popular supplements used by sportspeople, many people have reacted negatively to the use of creatine to enhance performance, and seek to ban it for use by individuals involved in competitive sports. It has been also proven that a highly acidic environment, like the stomach, can cause pure creatine to convert into creatinine, which nullifies all its beneficial effects. To minimize this, manufacturers add alkaline phosphates to their supplements. The effect of such compounds on the body has not been analyzed.

Creatine is available on the internet, and in retail and wholesale drug stores. In drug stores it is sold as an over-the-counter drug, which means that one does not need to produce a doctor’s certificate. Before buying creatine one must consult ones physician to check dosage, and type of creatine. It should be used responsibly and the ideal way to do this would be to limit intake to 3 to 5 grams almost every day for three weeks followed by 3 grams two to four times a week. It is also recommended that users take a break from creatine for at least a week, in a month.