Discover the benefits of creatine in your training

The benefits of creatine are more than proven, and here's why.

No matter how many cutting-edge products you might find in a supplement store, I dare say there will never be anything that takes the undisputed throne that creatine holds due to its importance in training.

Creatine, in reality, is naturally present in our bodies. Our body synthesizes it from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. That is to say, creatine is of protein origin.

Benefits of creatine

We also find it in protein-rich foods of animal origin such as meats and fish. For this reason, creatine is especially necessary as a supplement for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

If you are an athlete, regardless of the type of diet you follow, supplementing with creatine to improve your training goals provides a safe nutritional ergogenic aid that will give us notable improvements in our athletic performance.

Creatine is the star of all sports supplements. It is, by far, the supplement that has the most noticeable effect on our body when consumed. Among its most immediate benefits are the increase in strength and muscular endurance, especially if combined with short, high-intensity exercise sets performed successively.

Let's look at other benefits of creatine in sports:

Increased Endurance

The most important effect and function of creatine is the increase in ATP. ATP is adenosine triphosphate, the primary and universal energy source for all metabolic processes and body activities.

ATP is stored in muscle cells, but it is depleted within a few seconds after exertion.

When short, very intense muscle stimuli occur, for example, sprints or weightlifting exercises, the first source used is ATP. Creatine is responsible for ATP resynthesis, rapidly replenishing muscle reserves, which translates into an increase in endurance.

Increased Muscle Mass

Partly due to the storage of water exclusively in muscle cells. Creatine promotes glycogen storage in muscle cells. One gram of glycogen can store 3g of water. This explains the rapid weight gain and the bulky appearance of muscles.

Increased Strength and Muscle Development

• Increases strength and endurance.
• Faster muscle strength recovery after exercise.
• Larger and better-shaped muscles. Firmer and more defined appearance.

Improves Performance in High-Intensity Exercises

Creatine during training improves performance in changes of pace, which is especially useful in sports with high physical demands. Additionally, it allows for maintaining high-intensity efforts for longer without a noticeable drop in performance. Among the benefits of creatine, its ability to increase the availability of immediate energy stands out, thus promoting more explosive repetitions and faster recovery between sets, which contributes to improving both performance and long-term muscle adaptation.

Frequently asked questions about the benefits of creatine

From here, I'm going to let loose and give my opinion based on my training and knowledge. I clarify this because creatine is such a well-studied, well-researched supplement... that I understand other professionals may have a different theory on the matter.

When to take creatine

Many say before training, many say after... Creatine doesn't have an immediate effect: it's cumulative. The creatine you take today doesn't take effect today, but tomorrow.

In my case: for example, I train at 6 in the afternoon... sometimes the time varies depending on my job. So to make sure I take it no matter what, I add it to my breakfast, and that's it. It's that simple. The effect is equally brutal in my workouts.

Weight loss and cutting phases

Another big dilemma. Many stop using creatine when they are in a cutting phase, and it's actually a mistake. You can continue using it; it can even promote fat burning, as an increase in calorie consumption occurs through muscle development. Precisely when we are cutting, what interests us most is to preserve our muscle mass, and creatine will ensure that this does not happen.

Is a loading phase necessary?

In the past, we always recommended a loading phase. Nowadays, it has been proven that there is hardly any long-term difference, so I conclude that it is not necessary.

When would a loading phase be necessary? – For example, when immediate results are required, in the case of a competition, where you want to obtain the results of creatine as soon as possible.

How many days? How much? I recommend only 3 days of loading (many recommend more) and during those three days, take 4 doses of 3 to 5 g spread throughout the day.

Should it be cycled?

I am old school, even though I constantly study and update myself. It is known today that creatine is safe to take continuously, but I recommend taking breaks every 3 months. Not because it is bad to take it continuously, but so that the body also gets used to "working" without that supplement.

There are many types of creatine, but which is the best?

The "modern creatines," as I call them, there are several types on the market, but without a doubt, the best and most effective is always creatine monohydrate.

Always make sure to buy creatine of the highest quality and purity for your training. Those with the Creapure seal or HPLC provide a total guarantee.