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CREATINE 2 Loading the muscle with creatine will improve the ability to produce energy during high intensity exercise as well as improve the speed of recovery. Theoretically, this will help an athlete perform more work during a single bout of high intensity exercise and recover faster between multiple sets of high intensity exercise. Creatine must be loaded to gain great results quickly. One can load over a long period of time with low dosages spanning many days, but why waste time. Creatine loading will allow you to achieve the best results. Most loading protocols suggest consuming 20-25 grams in 4-5 equally divided dosages throughout the day for 5-7 days. Recent studies have examined the results of various loading techniques. Loading protocols using a diluted mixture of a carbohydrate based drink and creatine powder have resulted in greater overall storage. One study showed that a test group loading creatine with a carbohydrate drink had 10% greater muscle creatine storage levels than the group that did not use a carb drink. (2,3 Green) have them ready to post on site. In addition consuming creatine with a carb based drink such as grape juice resulted in superior glycogen storage (18% better). Glycogen stores are crucial for peak athletic performance. Glycogen is synthesized from dietary carbohydrate, and is the body's preferred athletic fuel. Little 500 riders will experience greater endurance capacity from higher levels of muscle and liver glycogen storage. A minority of studies has resulted in little or no performance benefits from Creatine consumption. A specific and revealing pattern emerges in a majority of these studies. The loading protocols for most of the "no benefit" studies are incorrect. Study participants did not load creatine correctly because they failed to consume enough creatine. I believe that the improper loading had a significant distorting influence on the negative studies in question. Furthermore many creatine users who were deemed non-responders meaning that they did not gain any benefit from creatine use did see improved results when they loaded creatine with a carbohydrate drink a second time around. Give creatine another try if you did not see the results you wanted the first time. This time load creatine using my procedures below. Let's put this loading issue together. You will need anywhere from 100-200g of creatine for your entire loading phase. I would recommend being on the higher side for you larger guys. Do not worry about loading too much creatine. It will not hurt you. The body will simply expel any excess creatine. Use five gram divided dosages diluted in fruit juice 4-5 times a day for 5 to 7 days. Look for a juice with a higher Glycemic Index (check out my old article). Unfortunately the properties of Orange Juice make it a poor choice for a creatine drink. Grape juice is ideal. The high GI juice will cause an insulin spike. Insulin is a primary storage hormone, which will help to store creatine in your muscles. You want the mixture of juice and creatine to mix well( no clumping on the bottom!) An easy way to make the drink mix better is to microwave it to a sipping heat. This elevated temperature may even improve absorption. After loading you will have to take a maintenance dose every day. This serving will consist of 5-10 grams and should be taken in the same fashion as your loading doses. The best time for the maintenance dose is right after your workout. Your muscles will be hungry for nutrients at this time. Try not to take your creatine close to a protein meal or with caffeine. Both of these substances may interfere with the absorption of creatine. Why is creatine great for recreational weight trainers and athletes? For many reasons actually. Consumption of creatine will immediately enable subjects to gain lean weight. Most of this quick weight gain stems from increased water and creatine storage. So many people are seeking to gain muscle size and loading creatine is a quick way to do it. More importantly creatine increases the rate of protein synthesis (muscle gain) and decreases muscle catabolism (muscle loss). (5.Ziegunfuss) A study was done on college football players participating in an off-season training program lasting 28 days. The group of players ingesting creatine gained on average 2.5 more pounds of lean muscle than the control group. (4.Kreider) As mentioned before creatine supplementation helps regenerate energy fueling ATP. This increased energy output will allow an athlete to train at a higher intensity for longer periods of time. Finally creatine greatly enhances recovery. Athletes will experience less soreness and fatigue during days following harsh workouts. Strength is also significantly improved by creatine use. A study examining the effect of creatine on a one repetition maximum bench press found subjects taking creatine improved their maximums by nearly 18 pounds in 28 days. The test group not taking creatine actually had a small decrease in bench press performance. (1.Earnest). One would not have to look hard to find creatine these days. Although one may have trouble finding creatine at a good price, and beyond that it would be even harder to find quality creatine at a good price. Many supplement companies are artificially jacking up prices while lowering their own expenses by using junk fillers. Recently many creatine products have been randomly tested for contamination. It was found that several of these products contained fillers in excessive proportions. You should pay for quality creatine and get creatine without contamination. I am in possession of a book published by a company, which randomly tested several supplements from different manufacturers to measure quality. Send me an email and I will be glad to tell you about the track record of any manufacturer. Look for 500g of creatine for around $25. This will last you for roughly three months. Purchase plain creatine monohydrate powder. Do not waste your money on any fancy delivery systems. So far none of them have been proven to work. However there is one additive on the horizon with great potential. You can enhance the absorption of your creatine on your own using the tips in this article. Finally shop around to find the best price. Be skeptical of typical retail outlets, they rarely offer good deals. In conclusion creatine has many benefits and no drawbacks. Give it a try and use my tips provided in this article. You will not be disappointed. I will be more than happy to answer any questions. 1.Earnest C, Snell P, Rodriguez R, Almada A, Mitchell T. The effect of creatine monohydrate ingestion on anaerobic power indices, muscular strength and body composition. Acta Physiol Scand 1995;153:207-9. 2. Green A, Sewell D, Simpson L, Hulman E, Macdonald I, Greenhaff P. Creatine ingestion augments muscle creatine uptake and glycogen synthesis during carbohydrate feeding in man. J Physiol 1996;491:63. Abstract 3. Green A, Simpson E, Littlewood J, Macdonald I, Greenhaff P. Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine feedings in humans. Acta Physiol Scand 1996;158:195-202. 4. Kreider R, Ferreira M, Wilson M, Grindstaff P, Plisk S, Reinhardy J, Cantler E, Almada A. Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength and sprint performance. Med Sci Sport Exerc 1998;30:73-82. 5. Ziegenfuss T, Lemon P, Rogers M, Ross R, Yarasheski K. Acute creatine ingestion: effects on muscle volume, anaerobic power, fluid volumes, and protein turnover. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1997;29:S127. Abstract LEGAL DISCLAIMER |
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