Supplement Series: Creatine

Supplement - noun - something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.

It’s worth saying that at least 80% of your physical fitness is determined by nutrition, sleep, stress level, and consistency. Considering that these factors of your lifestyle are relatively in check, adding certain supplements can give you extra benefits that would otherwise be very difficult to sustain through diet alone.

Several products are advertised to have anabolic and muscle-building properties - mostly exaggerated by marketing – but there are a handful of natural substances that have shown real potential to be conducive to muscle growth.

One of the very few known differences-makers is creatine – an natural amino acid found most abundantly in red meat, fish, and wild game. This molecule is converted by the body to phosphocreatine and used by the cells' mitochondria to produce ATP (energy). In the muscles particularly, this means the more phosphocreatine is available for your muscles, the harder they can contract.

Depending on the amount of red meat, fish, and wild game consumed on a regular basis, you probably have about 1 gram of creatine circulating through your body at any given time. Countless studies have shown significant benefits in weightlifting and muscle building for people with at least 5 grams of creatine in their body on a consistent basis compared to the average 1 gram.

Common myths about creatine are linked to bloating, hair loss, and even kidney disease. The bloating myth stems from the notion that creatine carries water to the muscles when it is transported, allegedly making you appear puffy and bloated. Thankfully for us, this is completely false. More water can make your make your muscles appear slightly fuller, but the creatine has absolutely no effect on the subcutaneous fat that people often claim. Perhaps this myth originates from bros who piled on body fat while eating obscured amounts of food during a “dirty bulk” and blamed the embarrassing results on creatine. As for the kidneys, the only risks are for people with existing kidney problems. Don’t worry, there’s no real evidence showing you could go bald because of creatine either either.

The bottom line is that creatine is an easy and relatively cheap way to give your muscles a little extra boost in the weight room. Ignore the “loading phase” suggested by most supplement companies, about 5 grams is plenty. You won’t feel bloated. In fact, you probably won’t feel any difference other than a couple extra reps in the gym, which leads to a few more pounds, which leads to more muscle.

Click here to read more into the studies I used to compile this evidence.

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