WHAT IS CREATINE MONOHYDRATE?
What is creatine monohydrate?
In short, it’s the most widely studied sports supplement on the market and has been research proven in countless trials to provide a multitude of benefits to bodybuilders and athletes.
Creatine monohydrate is a combination of 3 amino acids: l-glycine, l-methionine and l-arginine and is a compound that is heavily involved in energy production within the body.
For those interested in building lean muscle, gaining strength and improving athletic performance, creatine provides two main benefits…
What Is Creatine Monohydrate: Benefit #1
Increased strength and muscle recovery
The first way that creatine benefits you is by improving the efficiency of your body’s ATP system. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is the primary molecule involved in muscular contractions and produces energy by “tearing off” one of its 3 phosphate groups.
ATP then becomes ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and must wait for the third phosphate group to be re-attached before more energy can be created.
Creatine monohydrate increases the number of phosphate groups within the muscle tissue, which allows ADP to be converted back into ATP at a faster rate.
As a result, you’re able to lift heavier weights, perform more reps and recover more quickly in between sets. The better your gym performance is, the more lean muscle you can ultimately build.
This also has direct benefits in explosive stop-start sports like hockey, basketball, football etc.
What Is Creatine Monohydrate: Benefit #2
Expanded muscle cell volume
The second major benefit of creatine monohydrate is the “super hydration effect” it has on your muscle cells.
Since creatine is stored in the muscle tissue and requires additional water in order to be held there, it actually expands your overall muscle cell volume giving you a thicker, more muscular appearance.
The best part is, since the water is stored inside the actual muscle cell and not underneath the skin, you’ll experience this increased fullness without any unwanted bloating or puffiness.
Actually, the opposite is true, since creatine actually enhances muscle definition and hardness.
In addition to the two major benefits listed above, creatine has also been shown to have positive effects on brain function, glucose tolerance, bone health and more.
What Is Creatine Monohydrate: How To Use
Hopefully this has answered your question of “what is creatine monohydrate”, but how exactly should you use it?
Creatine monohydrate supplementation is incredibly simple. Just take 3-5 grams daily (about a teaspoon) on a continual ongoing basis.
The specific timing doesn’t matter, nor does it matter what specific liquid you mix it with. After about 3 weeks your muscles will become fully saturated and you’ll experience the full benefits that creatine has to offer.
There is no need to perform the popular “creatine loading phase”, nor is there any need to cycle on and off.
Just make sure you’re sticking with premium grade German creatine monohydrate, as this is the best quality form available free from impurities and contaminants. Lower quality forms (such as those produced in China) are not recommended. German grade creatine will be listed as “Creapure”.
– Sean
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