Creatine: The Safest and Most Effective Supplement for Strength and Muscle Gain
May 23, 2023
For performance, strength, and muscle mass gain, one supplement has stood out for several decades: creatine.
Scientific studies unanimously agree that it works! Its use is 100% safe, and its effectiveness is uncompromising.
This supplement is so effective that some people think it's a steroid or that it's only good for bodybuilders, or even that it damages the kidneys! None of that is true.
Let's demystify, once and for all, this supplement called creatine and together, let's look at its numerous benefits:
- Increases strength and power production
- Increases muscle mass gain
- Delays the onset of fatigue
- Increases work capacity
- Improves body composition
But how is this possible? Here's an overview of the impact of creatine on our system:
Creatine is formed from arginine and glycine (two amino acids) and is used as energy (ATP) by the body during short and intense periods of exertion.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the energy responsible for all cells in the body, including muscle contractions. Creatine, by increasing phosphocreatine (energy reserve in muscles), allows your muscle cells to have more energy to perform a given task.
So whether it's lifting a weight, climbing a mountain, or even sprinting, your body needs to produce ATP. Creatine comes into play and enhances and optimizes this process.
Your energy production becomes more efficient, making you stronger.
To fully understand all the direct and indirect impacts that creatine can have on your body, let's take a step back and make connections together:
When your body is more efficient in energy production, it becomes stronger, more effective, and many aspects can greatly benefit.
For the same given task, if your body is stronger, there will be a decrease in the perception of effort.
This decrease in the perception of effort then delays the onset of fatigue.
The more delayed your fatigue accumulation, the more you will be able to work hard, at a higher intensity, and for a longer period of time. This is what we call work capacity.
Work capacity is your body's tolerance to intensity and training volume.
The higher your body can withstand adequate intensity and training volume, the more significant the results will be, whether in the gym or in a sports context.
Creatine in training
In training, if energy production is efficient, the body has better work capacity, and it can handle more weight and training volume. These are the three key elements to truly optimize your results:
-
MORE STRENGTH = MORE WEIGHT
-
MORE WEIGHT = MORE MUSCLE TENSION = MORE MUSCLE (Muscle tension is the MAJOR FACTOR to consider for muscle hypertrophy. The more you can put your muscle under high tension, the greater the hypertrophic response will be.)
-
MORE WEIGHT & MORE VOLUME = MORE ENERGY EXPENDITURE = MORE CALORIES BURNED = BETTER BODY COMPOSITION (If the body can withstand more weight and training volume, its energy expenditure will be higher!)
Creatine is therefore essential for improving body composition and gaining muscle mass. In summary, with its more efficient energy production, creatine allows you to train harder and longer. It's the dream of every athlete and bodybuilding enthusiast!
Recommended dosage
Creatine consumption should be done on a daily basis, whether you're training or not.
To maximize its effects, it's important to "saturate" the cells, which is why it's important to consume it every day.
With a consumption of 5 g per day, saturation should occur after 30 days. After that, maintain your dosage between 3-5 g depending on your body weight.