Buy Creatine is not a drug, steroid or artificial aid. . . . → Read More: Introduction to Creatine]]> Creatine Monohydrate is the common name for methyl-guanidine-acetic acid but you will usually hear the term ´creatine´ encompassing a wide variety of sports supplements. Creatine supplements account for a large portion of the sports supplement market and there are numerous variations on the theme.

Buy Creatine is not a drug, steroid or artificial aid. It is made in your body and every single person carries a significant amount of creatine around in their bodies at all times, with around 95% of this creatine stored in muscle tissue.

The idea of ingesting creatine to increase creatine levels in the body is not new. First discovered in 1832 by French scientist Michel Eugene Chevreul, the name ´creatine´ is based on the Latin name for ´meat´ as meat is one of the common sources of dietary creatine.

It was first noted in 1912 that ingesting creatine boosted the levels of creatine found in skeletal muscle tissue. By even the early part of the 20th Century it was well known by researchers that creatine was one of the principal parts of muscle metabolism.

By 1992 numerous athletes had begun to utilise creatine supplementation to boost muscle levels and enjoy an ergogenic (performance enhancing) effect. In 1993, the company EAS released Phosphagen, the first branded mainstream form of Creatine supplement. Since that time studies on Creatine have led to a greater understanding of its benefits, effects, method of action and numerous attempts to improve and expand the uses of this substance making it one of the most ubiquitous supplements ever produced.

What is creatine?

Creatine is made up of three amino acids – Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. These amino acids can be synthesized in the liver to produce creatine. It is also possible to ingest creatine from dietary meat sources, though vegetarians and vegans will generally have lower creatine stores due to lack of meat ingestion. Today´s creatine supplements are not derived from meat however; they are synthesized in laboratories from the three amino acids to produce a simple powdered format creatine.

The average male weighing 160lbs in bodyweight will carry approximately 120grams of creatine in their bodies. 95%-98% of this is stored in skeletal muscle tissue, with the remainder in various organs, primarily the brain, heart and reproductive systems.

Vegetarians and Vegans will generally ingest no dietary creatine and their stores are produced entirely by synthesis in the liver from amino acid sources. Meat eaters may ingest anywhere between a few hundred milligrams up to 3 or 4 grams daily depending on the meat sources chosen.

Supplemental creatine use allows users to ingest in the range of 5 to 20 grams of creatine daily without high meat consumption in a directly usable form.

When creatine has moved through the energy cycle, it produces the waste by-product creatinine. Creatinine release is a marker of kidney dysfunction which often accounts for early (but now dismissed) concerns that creatine supplementation placed stress on the kidneys. Increased creatinine waste products in the case of athletes do not signal kidney stress, it is merely the by-product of ingesting larger amounts of creatine and utilising more creatine in muscle energy metabolism than a non-athletic individual.

The Purpose of Creatine

Creatine is directly involved in the ATP-PC (adenosine tri-phosphate-phosphocreatine) energy system of the body. The body has various energy systems available to it to power activity and processes. Systems such as the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems involve the creation of energy from synthesis of carbohydrate and fat stores and fuel sources, although these are more complex processes that are efficient but slow. The ATP-PC energy system is an immediate source of energy for muscle tissue – any sudden, explosive activity where muscles contract fast will initially rely on the ATP-PC system. This includes weight lifting, sprinting etc.

During the ATP energy cycle ATP is broken down very rapidly into simpler chemical compounds offering a burst of energy. Unfortunately this system is depleted very rapidly with maximum exertion activity depleting current stores within 10 to 15 seconds. Once this system is exhausted the body must move onto the more complex process of anaerobic activity.

Creatine binds with the reduced ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) using phosphorus stores which helps regenerate ADP back into ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). This means a very rapid return of fast action energy source for muscles. You can immediately push more weight for longer, sprint harder without burning out etc.

This is the central role played by creatine. By increasing supplemental creatine levels users will often find they can perform more reps at maximum exertion or sprint longer without switching over to the anaerobic system. It also means faster recovery of ATP levels, meaning shorter rests are needed between maximum exertion efforts.

Other Athletic benefits of Creatine

There are noted benefits from using creatine other than the direct replenishment of ATP.

*Cell Volumization – When larger than normal levels of creatine saturate the muscles from supplementation, this draws fluid into the actual muscle cells themselves, creating a ´super-hydration´ effect. This is not to be confused with the term ´fluid retention´ which is the bloat caused by water retained under the skin. In the creatine scenario fluid actually swells the cells of muscles. This accounts for much of the initial weight and muscle size gains found with creatine use. This weight gain generally occurs within the first 7 to 14 days of supplementing with higher levels of creatine. If supplemental creatine is withdrawn, this ´super-Volumization´ slowly erodes until muscles return to their normal hydration state.

*Enhanced Protein Synthesis – There are numerous studies which now suggest creatine also helps increase the nitrogen retention and protein synthesis of muscle metabolism. This essentially means that higher protein ingestion will lead to faster muscle growth development and improve retention of lean muscle tissue. This benefit is likely a combination of the ATP-replenishment and Cell volumising properties.

Other Benefits of Creatine supplementation

More recent medical studies have shown that creatine supplementation may have other, non-athletic benefits. Creatine is now used in those with both muscle wasting and neuro-degenerative diseases, showing major benefits in retaining muscle and protecting nerves and nerve signalling pathways. This has led to numerous studies on the effect of creatine supplementation on preventing cognitive dysfunction in conditions such as Alzheimer´s and Dementia, as well as nerve related conditions.

Creatine supplementation is currently undergoing trials as a ´cognitive nutracuetical´ or ´smart drug´ – which may enhance brain function, improving memory, co-ordination, focus and mental alertness. Many athletes have noted these effects but strict medical studies are required to understand these anecdotes.

Creatine Forms

Creatine supplements come in a wide variety of forms.

*Creatine Monohydrate – This simple form of creatine bound to a single water molecule is the most common and widely available form of creatine. It is usually found as a simple white powder which may be mixed with protein shakes, beverages or come in specialised loading drinks which utilise fast action carbohydrates and other insulin stimulators to increase uptake of creatine to muscle cells. This is the most economical form of creatine and the most widely used, however around 1 in 7 users will be a poor responder to creatine monohydrate and see little ability to uptake it, often resulting in digestive distress, bloating and no increase in strength or energy levels. Creatine Monohydrate may also be found in ´Micronized´ form. This simply means the powder is reduced in granularity making it easier to dissolve in water or other liquids.

*Creatine-Ethyl-Ester – Creatine bound to an ethyl ester group as opposed to a water molecule as with Monohydrate Creatine. Ethyl Ester groups are designed to allow more creatine to pass into muscle tissue without wastage and without the need to ingest higher and higher doses for low responders. Users of Creatine-Ethyl-Ester generally find less digestive problems than creatine monohydrate and it may work well for non responders. Ethyl-Ester creatine is more often found in tablet or capsule format as opposed to drink mix powders.

*Kre-Alkalyn Creatine – Kre-Alkalyn Creatine is a patented form of creatine which claims to offer a better pH balance for creatine. This means the product will be more stable in liquids and larger amounts will reach skeletal muscle intact and not break down into the by-product creatinine. Kre-Alkalyn creatine can therefore be used in much lower doses than regular creatine monohydrate, perhaps as little as 2 grams of Kre-Alkalyn offering the same benefits of 10 grams of ingested Creatine Monohydrate. The patented nature of Kre-Alkalyn however does make it far more expensive to use than regular creatine.

But you CAN use supplements to help the process along faster. The real key is knowing what works, what . . . → Read More: Cutting Through The Hype Of Supplement Ads – No Punches Pulled]]> I’ll start with the bottom line: you don’t NEED supplements to burn fat or build muscle. The human body can function and make excellent athletic progress on nothing but quality food and proper training.

But you CAN use supplements to help the process along faster. The real key is knowing what works, what is garbage, and when an advertiser is simply trying to take your money.

Let me put it this way…in a recent muscle magazine, I counted 120 pages of full-page (in some cases 3 to 6 page), high-powered supplement ads. If you were to buy all these products, you’d be laughing all the way to the bank…laughing maniacally, because you’d have to rob it in order to pay for all those supplements!

There ARE good supplement manufacturers who make good products…they put in what they say they’re putting in and don’t try to fool you with advertising. But this article is about the BAD ones and it’s more fun to talk about them…

So what sneaky tricks do advertisers use to separate you from your money?

1. Unprovable Testimonials

How many times have you seen testimonials like “I lost 10 pounds in a week” or “I gained 20 pounds of muscle in a month.” These testimonials prey upon the desire in all of us for fast and easy results. Who wouldn’t want results this quickly? After all, if this person did it, I should get those same results too, right?

To me, this is like a car commercial that uses special effects to catch your attention then has an official disclaimer like “car should not be driven underwater” or “does not imply resistance to meteor strikes.” It looks and sounds cool but you know it’s just not real – you want to believe but…

And believe me, I would LOVE to think that results like this are possible with just a supplement. But how do you prove that those results even happened? You can’t. How do you prove it was due to that supplement? You can’t. How do you know the person wasn’t “on” something? You can’t. And how do you get your money back when it doesn’t work? You can’t.

About 10 years ago, I did an experiment on myself to see just how much weight I could gain in a week (keep in mind, I was just aiming for total bodyweight, which includes muscle, water and fat). By going on a very strict diet and training program for 2 weeks then completely reversing everything and loading up, I was able to gain 25 pounds of bodyweight in 7 days. And I owed it all to the incredible new supplement I was taking called Hydrogen Dioxide (a.k.a. H2O).

2. Before and After Photos

Before and after photos can be very inspiring and offer proof that a product works. Or they can fool you like the time Homer Simpson opened a can of beer that had just been in a paint shaking machine.

Here’s a before and after picture technique you can try at home:

Your Before Picture:

- slouch as much as you can

- let your gut hang out and down, push it out if you can

- bow your shoulders in, hunch your back over, and bow your knees in

- stand directly square to the camera so you look as wide as possible

- frown or look miserable

- have a messy, unflattering hairdo

- wear the most unflattering clothing you can find – make sure the clothes highlight every bulge

- don’t flex or tighten up anything – make yourself feel as flabby as possible

Your After Picture:

- stand up straight and tall

- suck in your gut and flex your abdominals

- keep your shoulders back

- look happy and wear a big smile

- stand slightly sideways (tilting your body at angle makes it look thinner)

- wear flattering clothing and have your hair neat

- flex all your muscles and keep everything tight

You can make quite a change in yourself pretty quickly!

3. Pay An Athlete To Get Fat Then Pay Them To Get Back In Shape

It is a little-known fact that some supplement companies have been known to actually pay well-trained athletes to stop training and get fat. Why? To get a really awful-looking “before” picture.

Then, when the athlete starts training hard again, eating right and, of course, taking their magic supplement, they get into great shape very quickly. The goal is to convince you that it was the supplement that was the key to the transformation, not the fact that it was a well-trained athlete in the first place. But an average person is NOT going to be able to make a transformation like this, no matter how good the supplement is.

When you’re already a well-trained athlete, you can make dramatic changes to your body extremely quickly (as evidenced by my own 25 pounds in a week weight gain I talked about above). To me, it’s like telling a professional boxer that he can only punch with his face for a few rounds. When he starts up with the fists again, he’s going to make a pretty rapid improvement!

4. 6 Page Special Ad Reports

Have you ever started reading an article in a magazine only to realize partway through that you’re being sold a supplement? These styles of ads are VERY common – informative enough to make you believe it’s the magazine itself writing the article but, lo and behold, the best solution to the topic in the “special report” is the supplement they’re trying to get you to buy.

Note to supplement companies: even a good product can be wrecked with too much slick advertising.

5. Misrepresenting Legitimate Scientific Studies

Here’s the set-up: take an ingredient that showed some positive results in an isolated scientific study that has nothing to do with actual weight training, e.g. malnourished toddlers in Lithuania showed an increase in lean tissue when given nutrient “X”.

Now assume that the same results will also happen in a 200 lb healthy male athlete. Tell people that nutrient “X” is backed by scientific studies. They know that you’re not going to actually READ those studies!

Here’s the kicker… now include 10 mg of it in your product when the effective dose in the toddlers was actually 1000 mg!

And here’s a fun way to kill an afternoon: call up these companies and ask them to send you copies of the studies they’ve used to prove their supplements are effective. I’ve done that…they don’t stay on the line very long. Oh, they’ve sent me “studies,” but where I went to school, legitimate scientific studies don’t generally include price lists.

6. Name Your Product Similar to a Drug and Claim It’s “Almost Illegal”

Luckily for them, it’s not illegal to be useless. If the only thing a product has going for it is a mashed-up name similar to a drug, pack up your underwater car and go driving through a meteor shower. It’s going to be a long day.

7. Proprietary Formulas

I have no problem with people keeping the lid on the specifics of an effective formula to keep others from copying it. But when that is used an excuse to include next to nothing of the active ingredients that actually do anything…

You see, I don’t want to pay for a pill that is 95% methylbullcrapsomethingorother and 5% active ingredient. When the phrase “proprietary formula” is used, the manufacturer doesn’t legally have to say exactly how much of each of the ingredients is in the formula.

The best part is when the scientific study they used to prove their product works shows a dose of 5 grams is needed to be effective and their serving size/pill size is only 1 gram…AND they have 10 other ingredients listed as being in the pill.

8. Professional Bodybuilder Testimonials

Because I’m quite sure that a pro bodybuilder weighing 280lb at 4% bodyfat really gained all that muscle from a couple of scoops of some fruity powder that is supposed to give you a better pump.

9. The “Latest” Supplement

There was a time when the AMC Pacer and the Gremlin were the “latest” cars to come off the assembly line. Just because something is the “latest” doesn’t mean that it actually works.

The current craze: Nitric Oxide (a product that is supposed to increase circulation to muscles, resulting in a greater “pump”/blood flow to the muscles for increasing muscle growth). Let me put it this way…I’ve tried it, I’ve researched it and don’t waste your money on it.

The only way it’ll work is if you mix it with something else that DOES work (like creatine, for instance). Then you’re just paying extra for the privelege of combining the two supplements.

You want a better pump? Drink more water – that’s what blood primarily is. The better hydrated you are, the greater your blood volume will be. Need proof? One of the primary dangers of diuretic use for reducing water levels to show muscles better is thickening of the blood, which basically is reduced blood volume. The more water you have in your body, the greater your blood volume will be and the stronger your pumps will be.

Heck, if you REALLY want to build muscle, half your day should be spent sloshing around because you’ve drank so much water!

10. “Eat What You Want And Still Lose Weight”

Chances are, a product like this contains something to speed up your metabolism (most likely a herbal stimulant) and/or something to block the absorption of fat or carbs. You will probably lose weight but you may be a nervous insomniac with debilitating cramps and greasy diarrhea. What a great way to promote good health!

Conclusion:

Bottom line, I have no problem with supplements or supplement ads that are legitimate. What I do have a problem with (and you probably gathered this from the article) is the way people are manipulated through clever advertising into spending their hard-earned money on useless products. It gives weight training a bad name makes even good products look suspicious.

You see, a supplement can only do so much – it can only SUPPORT what you’re doing with your weight training and nutrition. If your training program or nutrition don’t work without supplementation, no supplement is going to fix that.

I use supplements every single day. They can help tremendously in your training, especially when you use supplements that are effective and have proven to be so! There are plenty of good supplements and good manufacturers out there (more on that below)!

The supplement that gets my vote for biggest come back of the decade is arginine.A decade ago it had a brief day in the lime light with athletes as a supplement thatmight stimulate growth hormone.

However, its use as a GH releaser never materialized into new muscles for users,so it quickly fell out . . . → Read More: Bodybuilding supplement reviews]]> Arginine

The supplement that gets my vote for biggest come back of the decade is arginine.
A decade ago it had a brief day in the lime light with athletes as a supplement that
might stimulate growth hormone.

However, its use as a GH releaser never materialized into new muscles for users,
so it quickly fell out of favor. Recently however, there has been a resurgence of
interest in arginine by athletes and supplement companies. This is due to recent
findings showing a long list of possible uses with arginine, ranging from possible
protection from heart disease, reducing cholesterol, to increasing blood flow.
The reason for this surge of interest in arginine by researchers is its connection to a molecule called nitric oxide (NO). NO is the new super star molecule with
researchers as it appears to play a role directly or indirectly in almost every aspect of human physiology.

Arginine is a key component of the NO production pathway (arginine serves as the
substrates for the nitric oxide synthase enzyme, which produces citrulline and NO
from arginine) which is essential for a cascade of reactions involved in
vasodilation and cardiovascular function.

Recent data suggests arginine may have some legitimate uses regarding health and
well being. For example, the lining of artery walls called the endothelium needs to
dilate and contract effectively. NO is essential to this function and several studies

have found arginine supplements at 8-20 grams per day restored endothelial
vasodilation in the coronary arteries and may improves overall blood flow which is
important for people suffering from ischemic issues.

Another study suggested that arginine supplementation greatly improved penile
function in men with penile dysfunction as NO is essential for blood flow involved
in getting an erection.

Arginine has shown a very good safety profile to date and appears to have virtually
no toxic effects. From an athletic/muscle building point of view, things become
much less clear. Early studies suggested arginine could increase growth hormone
levels, but in truth

(a) these effects were found using very high doses and wereintravenous and

(b) short lived spikes in GH don’t appear to have any positive effects on muscle mass or performance in healthy athletes anyway. Also, NO is a
messenger molecule related to virtually just about every pathway in the human
body one way or another.

Therefore, simply raising NO will have both positive and negative effects, most of
which are not known at this time. It may be shown that the improved blood flow
might increase oxygen saturation of tissues making it a good candidate for
endurance athletes or a pre workout supplement for bodybuilders, but that has yet
to be proven.

Unfortunately the data that has examined effects in athletes is lacking and some
supplement companies are far overstating arginine’s potential role in muscle
growth or performance. From a health perspective, arginine may have some real
direct uses for people with high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, ischemic
(meaning a reduced blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues) and even men with
erectile dysfunction. As for athletes, the jury is still out but arginine is one of those supplements to keep a close eye on for sure. At this time, I would not recommend it to athletes however for increasing either muscle mass or performance. For that use, it gets a thumb’s down.

BCAA’s
In the world of amino acids, the structural “building blocks” of proteins, there are
several classes and types of aminos. For example, we have the essential amino
acids, the non-essential amino acids, the conditionally essential amino acids and
the branch chain amino acids (BCAA).

The essential amino acids are deemed as such because the body cannot manufacture them and they must be supplied by the diet. The non-essential amino acids can be made from the essential amino acids, and thus don’t have to be supplied by the diet for survival, though many non-essential amino acids play essential roles in health and metabolism in their own right.

The conditionally essential amino acids, so named because during certain periods,
such as infancy or certain metabolic states, can be considered essential for that
period of time. The branch chain amino acids (so named because they branch off
another chain of atoms rather than form a straight line as other amino acids do) are
leucine, valine and iso-leucine.

The BCAA’s are the amino acids that are primarily used (oxidized) during exercise
and make up to one third of the amino acids in muscle tissue. It has been known
for a long time that BCAA’s play a critical role in the turn over of lean body
tissues (muscle) and is muscle sparing (i.e. anti-catabolic) in a variety of muscles
wasting states. Of the three BCAA, L-leucine appears to be the most important to
preserving hard earned muscle mass; intense exercise and certain disease states
have been shown to eat up a great deal of L-leucine.
So far so good! On the research front, some studies have found the consumption of
BCAA before endurance exercise may decrease the rate of protein degradation and
may have a sparing effect on muscle glycogen degradation and depletion of muscle
glycogen stores.
However, leucine supplementation at 200 mg per kg of bodyweight prior to
anaerobic running exercise (sprinting) did not improve performance.
Truth is, research to date with BCAA’s and performance has been contradictory at
best. One of the major drawbacks of the BCAA’s as a supplement is dosage. It
takes very high doses to see any ergogenic effect, assuming there are any
ergogenic effects to be had, as studies are still limited and or contradictory.
Although BCAA’s supplementation may or may not be effective, it is cost
prohibitive when one factors in the amounts needed. The good news however is
that proteins, in particular whey protein, is very high in BCAA’s and this may be
yet another reason whey is the so popular with athletes and so impressive in the
research.

As amino acids relating to the functions they play in the body, they get a thumb’s
up from me, but as a supplement they get a thumb’s down at this time. It’s far more
cost effective to use a high BCAA content protein supplement than take BCAA’s
supplements in capsule form due to the high doses needed.

Creatine

There is almost no one on the planet that has not heard of Creatine at this point. Yet it’s surprising that so much confusion, misinformation and disinformation still exists.

What is Creatine? During short maximal bouts of exercise such as weight training or sprinting, stored adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the dominant energy source. However, stored ATP is depleted rapidly. To give energy, ATP loses a phosphate and
becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP). At this point the ADP must be converted
back to ATP to derive energy from this energy producing system.

Creatine is stored in the human body as Creatine phosphate (CP) also called phosphoCreatine. When ATP is depleted, it can be recharged by Creatine phosphate. That is, the CP donates a phosphate to the ADP making it ATP again.

An increased pool of CP means faster and greater recharging of ATP and therefore
more work can be performed for a short duration, such as sprinting, weight lifting
and other explosive anaerobic endeavors.

The above was of course an immensely over simplified review of an exceptionally
complex system, but the basic explanation is correct. To date, research has shown
ingesting Creatine can increase the total body pool of CP which leads to greater
generation of force with anaerobic forms of exercise, such as weight training,
sprinting, etc.

Other effects of Creatine may be increases in protein synthesis and increased cell
hydration, though researchers are still elucidating the effects.
Creatine is formed in the human body from the amino acids methionine, glycine
and arginine. Certain foods such as beef, herring and salmon, are fairly high in
Creatine but a person would have to eat pounds of these foods daily to equal what
can be found in one teaspoon of powdered Creatine from a supplement. The
average person’s body contains approximately 120 grams of Creatine stored as
Creatine and Creatine phosphate.

Early research with Creatine showed it can increase lean body mass and improve
performance in sports that require high intensity intermittent exercise such as
sprinting, weight lifting, football, etc.

Creatine has had spotty results in research that examined its effects on endurance
oriented sports such as swimming, rowing and long distance running, with some
studies showing no positive effects on performance with endurance athletes.
Whether or not the failure of Creatine to improve performance with endurance
athletes was due to the nature of the sport or the design of the studies is still being debated. But one thing is for sure; the research is stronger in the high intensity short duration sports.

Creatine can be found in the form of Creatine monohydrate, Creatine citrate,
Creatine phosphate, Creatine-magnesium kelate and even liquid versions.

However, the vast majority of research to date showing Creatine to have an effect
on muscle mass and performance used the monohydrate form and most Creatine
found in supplements is in the monohydrate form.

Recent findings with Creatine have confirmed previous research showing it’s a
safe and effective supplement. More recent research has focused on exactly how it
works, and has looked deeper into its potential medical uses.

Several studies have shown it can reduce cholesterol by up to 15% thus may be of
use in with wasting syndromes such as HIV. It has also been shown to correct
certain inborn errors of metabolism, such people born without the enzyme(s)
responsible for making Creatine. Creatine is also being looked at as a supplement
that may help with diseases affecting the neuromuscular system, such as muscular
dystrophy (MS) and others.

A plethora of recent studies suggest Creatine may have therapeutic applications in
aging populations, muscle atrophy, fatigue, gyrate atrophy, Parkinson’s disease,
Huntington’s disease and other mitochondrial cytopathies, neuropathic disorders,
dystrophies, myopathies and brain pathologies.

As for safety, some have suggested that Creatine might increase the need for extra
fluid intake to avoid potential dehydration and muscle pulls. Still, Creatine has not
been shown to increase either dehydration or muscle pulls in the research. In some
people, Creatine may increase a byproduct of Creatine metabolism called creatinine, which is a crude indicator, but not a cause of kidney problems.

Some doctors have mistakenly thought that high creatinine levels (in athletes using
Creatine) are a sign of kidney problems, but that is not the case.

Creatinine is not toxic to the kidneys and most doctors are not aware that Creatine
may raise creatinine levels with no toxicity to the kidneys. People with pre-existing
kidney problems might want to avoid Creatine due to the effects it can have on this
test, though Creatine supplementation has never been shown to be toxic to the kidneys and the vast number if studies to date have found Creatine to be
exceedingly safe.

It’s interesting to note that there has been a concerted effort by many groups and
ignorant medical professionals to portray Creatine as being some how poorly
researched (flatly untrue) and unsafe for long term use.

They systematically ignore the dozens of studies that exist showing it’s both safe
and effective, and even more bizarre; ignore the recent studies that are finding
Creatine may help literally thousands of people with the aforementioned diseases.

This is unscientific, unethical and just plain immoral in my view. One question that often comes up regarding Creatine is whether or not the loading phase is required. Originally the advice for getting optimal results was to load up on Creatine followed by a maintenance dose there after. This advice was based on the fact that the human body already contains approximately 120 grams of Creatine (as Creatine and Creatine phosphate) stored in tissues and to increase total Creatine stores, one had to load for several days in order to increase those stores above those levels.

The idea also seemed to work well in practice with people noticing considerable
increases in strength and weight during the loading phase. All was not perfect
however as many people found the loading phase to be a problem, with gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and other problems. At the very least, loading was
inconvenient and potentially expensive.

The need for a loading phase was a long held belief, but is it really needed to
derive the benefits of Creatine? The answer appears to be no as both research and
real world experience have found the loading phase may not be needed after all. A
1996 study compared a loading phase vs. no loading phase 31 male subjects.

The subjects loaded for 6 days using 20 g/day and a maintenance dose 2 g/day for
a further 30 days. As expected, tissue Creatine levels went up approximately 20%
and the participants got stronger and gained lean mass. Nothing new there! And,
not surprisingly, without a maintenance dose Creatine levels went back to normal
after 30 days.

Then the group was given 3g of Creatine without a loading dose. The study found
a similar – but more gradual – increase in muscle Creatine concentrations over a
period of 28 days. The researchers concluded, “a rapid way to Creatine load human
skeletal muscle is to ingest 20 g of Creatine for 6 days.

This elevated tissue concentration can then be maintained by ingestion of 2 g/day
thereafter. The ingestion of 3 g Creatine/day is in the long term likely to be as
effective at raising tissue levels as this higher dose.”

A more recent study done in 1999 found that 5g of Creatine per day without a
loading phase in 16 athletes significantly increased measures of strength, power,
and increased body mass without a change in body fat levels (whereas the placebo
group showed no significant changes).

The researcher of this 1999 study concluded, “these data also indicate that lower
doses of Creatine monohydrate may be ingested (5 g/d), without a short-term,
large-dose loading phase (20 g/d), for an extended period to achieve significant
performance enhancement.”

So, if you have suffered through the loading phase in the past thinking it was the
only way to maximize the effects of your Creatine supplement, it appears you can
rest assured you don’t have to go through all that hassle. A 3-5gram per day dose
over and extended period of time will probably do the same thing.

For increases in strength, LBM, and performance, Creatine gets an enthusiastic
thumb’s up.

For more information: http://bodybuildingsupplementfreereviews.blogspot.com/

Odds are, your local health/vitamin shop carries a well-stocked supply of muscle building nutritional supplements. In fact, you may find that there are so many, it is difficult to decide which one to try. You probably have certain goals in mind, and it can be difficult to choose the supplement that will best . . . → Read More: Building Muscle With Supplements]]>

Odds are, your local health/vitamin shop carries a well-stocked supply of muscle building nutritional supplements. In fact, you may find that there are so many, it is difficult to decide which one to try. You probably have certain goals in mind, and it can be difficult to choose the supplement that will best help you to reach those goals, especially when there are so many to choose from. In this article, we will try to help you narrow down your choice.

You should know that you can build up muscle without using supplements, but using supplements will definitely help you achieve faster results. You still have to work at building muscle; it won?t happen if you just sit on the couch all day, no matter how many muscle building supplements you use. By having a well-planned weight lifting and workout routine that you do everyday, and using supplements, you can build muscle, if you are willing to work at it. The most popular supplements that muscle builders use are multivitamins, protein, and creatine.

Multi-vitamins are a nutritional supplement designed to help those who don?t always eat a proper diet provide their body with the vitamins it needs everyday. It is easy to get busy and just grab whatever food is handy, even if it isn?t the most nutritious option. If you take a daily multi-vitamin, your body won?t have to suffer when you don?t have the time to eat as you should. These vitamins may not do a lot to help you reach your muscle-building goals, but they can keep you healthy and boost your energy, which is also very
important.

Many bodybuilders rely on protein supplements to augment their exercise routines. Protein contains potent amino acids, which are effective at building muscle. If you are interested in building muscle, you definitely need either a high protein diet, or a protein supplement. If you take a protein supplement, most research shows that you should use 2 grams for every pound you weigh. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, then you would take 400 grams of protein each day. Protein supplements come in many forms, pills, bars, and powders. Look for a protein supplement that is made up of eggs, soy and whey.

Creatine supplements will help you not only build muscle, but will also help your muscles recover faster after workouts. If you lift weights, some lifters say that they are able to do more reps when they use creatine supplements. You have what is known as a loading period, usually one week, and then you use it for a few weeks, stop, and start back again, depending on the supplement manufacturers directions found on the label.

The right nutritional supplements can help you build muscle, provided you use them correctly, and in conjunction with muscle building exercises and a healthy diet.

The first common myth about creatine ethyl . . . → Read More: Creatine Ethyl Ester Myths and Facts]]> If you have heard of creatine ethyl ester, there is a very good chance that you have heard many incorrect things about this form of creatine supplement. In this article, we will address many of the common misconceptions while presenting the facts about creatine ethyl ester.

The first common myth about creatine ethyl ester is that it does not work at all. This misconception comes from published reports of studies of certain brands of creatine ethyl ester. These reports state that some companies claiming to sell creatine ethyl ester were not truly selling an esterfied form of creatine. The companies either did not attach, or ineffectively attached, the ether ester compound to the creatine, basically making it no different from creatine monohydrate. The truth is that this just means you need to find a brand that is trusted. In the same studies, many of the brands tested did in fact contain esterified creatine.

A second creatine ethyl ester misconception is that CEE is proven to be less effective or no more effective than creatine monohydrate. In fact, there are no published studies that compare the benefits of creatine monohydrate directly to the benefits of creatine ethyl ester.

Theoretically, creatine ethyl ester should be absorbed more easily in the body, allowing for lower dosage, minimal side effects, and greater benefit. However, as no tests have been published, this is inconclusive for now.

Another myth about creatine ethyl ester is that it is more dangerous or causes more side effects than creatine monohydrate. This is absolutely false.

Creatine ethyl ester is essentially the same as creatine monohydrate with the exception of an attached ethyl ester compound, which allows CEE to be more easily absorbed into the body’s cells. This means lower doses of CEE are effective, and actually means fewer side effects and dangers.

The major side effects of creatine are dehydration, cramping, bloating, and increased workload on the kidneys. If creatine is more easily absorbed in the cells, less “waste creatine” sits outside of the cell walls. This leads to less bloating, less work on the kidneys, and an overall reduction in side effects.

Now that the facts are in, many of your fears regarding creatine ethyl ester should be cleared up. Now, the question is whether you should try creatine monohydrate or creatine ethyl ester. The truth is, you should probably try both and see which you like best. Both have been shown to be effective. However, no studies have been done to show which form is most effective.