Creatine Information - Common Questions and Answers
Creatine Information - I have heard conflicting information about cycling creatine. What should I do?
Some studies support creatine cycling and others do not. There are a couple of different "cycling" strategies you can try:
- Stay on creatine all the time, but reload once every six weeks.
- Load for a week, stay in your maintenance phase for six weeks, then stop taking creatine completely for a couple of weeks. Repeat.
Creatine Information - I mix it with my workout drink in the morning, but sometimes I don't actually finish it until several hours later. Is creatine stable in solution this long?
Creatine is not totally stable in solution, so it's definitely not a good idea to keep it mixed with liquid for days, but there shouldn't be a problem mixing it six to eight hours before it's consumed. Any longer than that and you may be pushing it.
I'm searching for the best supplement that contains creatine to create muscle mass. Yet, which one do I select to get the best results?
Top 5 Recommended Creatine
Supplements For Best Results
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BSN NO-Xplode This is the world's first creatine and NO2 supplement that delivers instant results in energy, size, strength, pumps, performance, mental focus, and training intensity...You will actually see and feel it working within minutes. |
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AST Micronized Creatine Micronized Creatine contains micro-particles that are 20 times smaller than most creatine powders. I particularly like using this supplement because it digests faster and mixes way better than the other powders. |
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MuscleTech Cell Tech Now Cell Tech has been around for a good while because it works. MuscleTech still claims that some bodybuilders have gained as much as 10 pounds in 7 days. |
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EAS Phosphagen Elite This supplement is designed to reduce the lactic acid "burn". Therefore, all types of athletes that need to increase muscle strength and power can use it. |
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Dymatize Creatine Monohydrate Dymatize has been proven to help increases strength, and help spare muscle fibers for better strength and size gains. |
These top five have produced the best results to create muscle mass and hard as nails pumps. Each link will provide you with some additional creatine information on that particular product.
Supplementation seems to increase muscle strength. Would it make a person's heart stronger since it is a muscle too?
Research has shown that the cardiac tissue of laboratory animals does, indeed, take up creatine; not to the same magnitude as skeletal muscle but to some degree. There are reports of patients with chronic heart failure having low levels of myocardial creatine, and in that situation, administration is beneficial.
There's been a lot of press coverage in the past about creatine and muscle cramping. Are studies underway to investigate this?
Many scientific studies have been published and presented over the past years, and we have never seen any scientific evidence that creatine increases an athlete's chances of experiencing muscle cramps or pulls.
In fact, results from one recent study conducted at the University of Memphis (entitled "Effects of Creatine Supplementation During Training on the Incidence of Muscle Cramping, Injuries, and GI Distress") revealed no reports of muscle cramping in subjects taking creatine supplements during various exercise training conditions. Among the test subjects were elite junior swimmers, college football players, and trained and untrained endurance athletes.
Is the loading phase necessary to experience any benefits?
Necessary is a rather strong word. The loading phase is not required when using Creatine, but results of university studies indicate that the loading phase helps you reach that magic muscle saturation point quicker than if you just started out with the maintenance dose.
You can reach the same creatine saturation point by taking one serving for 30 days as you would from loading for 5 days, but most people aren't interested in waiting a month for results they could see in a week or less.
Are there any negative effects with using Creatine?
Creatine occurs naturally in many foods, with an especially high concentration in red meats and fish. You may notice increased urination, but this is due to the extra volume of liquid you'll be drinking when mixing your supplement.
If you do not wait three to four hours between doses, you may experience some stomach discomfort. This is easily resolved by spacing your dosages throughout the day or cutting dosages in half for one to two days.
What is the advantage of taking creatine in a powder versus a capsule or tablet form?
Powder can be absorbed by the bloodstream more efficiently than a pill, which has a coating that must be digested first. Also, creatine is taken in gram amounts, which means you'd need to take 20 1-gram capsules or 40 tablets per day to load. Needless to say, that the powder form is much more efficient.
If I'm trying to lose fat, should I worry about the calories?
No. It has no calories.
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