How to Use Creatine Monohydrate Supplement to Build Bigger Muscles in 6 Weeks

Creatine monohydrate is arguably the most potent natural bodybuilding supplement. But,

• Is creatine monohydrate an effective supplement for you? 
• Will it help you build muscle and strength?
• Will it work for you? Lets find.

Should you try creatine?

In this simple guide you will discover the truth about creatine supplement and how to use for best gains in muscle mass and strength.

Creatine monohydrate is considered one of the most powerful muscle building supplement after whey protein.

In this article you will discover:

• What is Creatine actually?
• What are the Benefits of Creatine?
• How does creatine work?
• Best Sources of Creatine
• How to use creatine and Best time
• Load or not to Load
• Is creatine safe? Creatine caution
• Should you use creatine?
• The best place to buy
• Conclusion and Action Plan

What is Creatine?

I am sure you are familiar with ATP or Adenosine Tri phosphate, the energy currency of the cell.

It is present within your muscle cells and provide instant energy for muscular exercise. This means you have only a finite amount of ATP, which when used, needs to be replenished if you want to continue exercising.

And guess what? Your ATP stores are exhausted within 3-5 seconds of any high intensity exercise you do. It gives off the high energy phosphate bond to become ADP in the process.

Hey, but your last bench press set lasted for 10 reps and 35 seconds. How did you do that? You did that thanks to creatine.

Creatine is a high energy compound present within the muscle cells as creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine. It provides the high energy phosphate bond that converts ADP back to ATP.

So essentially you ATP + Creatine stores decides how hard and how long you can train.

I know what you are thinking. If only you could find a way to store more creatine, your training strength could take off. Yes it does.

But before you jump in to buy creatine, I urge you to read the entire article.

The 3 Cool Benefits of Creatine

Creatine has 3 cool benefits:

1. Enhanced Gym performance
2. Stimulates muscle growth and
3. improves health & immunity

There are numerous research article that prove these benefits. {1}

Although we bodybuilders bother only about the muscle and strength benefits, the medical community is increasingly considering creatine use in HIV patients {to prevent muscle loss}, muscle atrophies, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's diseases.

So if creatine has so many benefits, how does it work?

P.S. When I say creatine, I only mean Creatine monohydrate. it is the most extensively studies type of creatine and most beneficial.

Although recent claims of creatine HCL outperforming creatine monohydrate are surfacing, for now its the monohydrate from you should try.

How Creatine Works

Creatine works in two ways:

1. It provides the high energy phosphate bond to synthesise ATP, and ATP provides instant energy.

2. Creatine causes cellular hydration

Most people experience weight gains, sometimes 5 lbs heavier in no time, which is nothing but water inside your cells.

Although this weight gain is NOT muscle growth, but this can effectively help more protein synthesis. Here's how.

The mechanism of action shown above is a hypothesis only. There are many criticisms. But the above hypothesis explains the muscle building effect of creatine better than other theories.

What are the Best Sources of Creatine

Beef, Herring and Salmon are rich in Creatine

3 Amino acids - arginine, methionine and glycine are involved in the formation of Creatine molecule. You have about 120 grams of creatine in your body.

Beef, herring, and salmon are rich in creatine. These creatine rich foods were the staple ones for old time bodybuilders, but you need to eat pounds of these foods to equal one spoon of creatine powder.

Since eating huge amounts of these foods is very difficult, supplementing with creatine during the bodybuilding phase is an excellent option. Vegetarians have no option but to supplement.

How to Use Creatine for Optimal Gains

If you have decided to use creatine by now, this section will show you how to maximise the creatine benefits.

There are two powerful ingredients that facilitate the entry of creatine into muscle cells - Fast acting proteins and carbohydrates.

When creatine is mixed with fast acting carbs and proteins, the absorption is faster and creatine enters the cells faster.

My tip: Research has shown that for optimal uptake, creatine needs sodium and chloride. I tell my clients to add a pinch of salt to their creatine shakes. The results have been better.

How to load creatine for best results

Loading is a concept wherein you take higher dose creatine for a period of time {usually 5 days} to super-saturate your muscles with creatine.

You then continue a low dose maintenance phase to keep the stores elevated after workouts.

My best way to load:

Take 10-15 g of creatine for 2 weeks straight to load your muscles. Then a maintenance dose of 3 - 5 grams works fine.

During the loading dose, take half dose before workout and half dose post workout. The same strategy goes for maintenance phase, although adding creatine to post-workout shake is proven to be equally effective.

Recent Studys shows that adding 3-5 grams of creatine without loading phase works equally effectively. But I stick with the loading phase for my clients. 

When is the Best time to Take Creatine

For bodybuilders, the best time to take creatine is pre and post workout. The creatine taken pre-workout enhances strength during training and post-workout creatine replenishes the creatine stores.

If you see great results, why not add chewable or liquid creatine during workout? Let me know your results as some of my clients have found it works great.

Is Creatine a Safe Supplement?

Numerous studies have been done on creatine supplementation and in my opinion creatine is an OK Supplement. {1}

Creatine are cleared by the kidneys and patients with kidney diseases should avoid creatine {and proteins}.

Otherwise, creatine supplementation is safe in the long run.

Should you try Creatine?

So if creatine is so effective, should you try creatine?

Yes, but beware you might be a non-responder.

In my coaching, I have found that some of my clients DO NOT respond to creatine at all. Some genetic variation maybe.

I call them creatine non-responders. 

Some experts believe that the added weight you gain is pure water and will disappear once you discontinue creatine use. I bet he is a non-responder, or else how will you explain the results from creatine users.

But considering the potential benefits of creatine on muscle and strength, I suggest creatine to be a must try supplement after whey proteins.

Where to Buy Creatine Supplement?

Few of the best supplements are not available offline or in stores.

The online world has levelled the marketing field and I have found few of the best supplements online.

Summary and Action Points

Creatine is arguably the most potent bodybuilding supplement ever discovered and has extensive research, both land and real world, to back it up.

If your nutrition and protein intake are optimal, add creatine to the mix along with branch chain aminos.

All the added strength will soon translate into muscle mass.

References:

1. "Effect of oral Creatine supplementation on muscle [PCr] and short-term maximum power output," Odland, L. M, J. D. MacDougall, et al.  Med. Sci. Sports. Exerc. 29/2 (1997), p. 216-9.

2. "Long-term effects of Creatine monohydrate on strength and power," Pearson, D. R., D. G. Hamby, et al. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 13/3 (1999), p. 187-192.