If you are trying to put in the necessary effort into your workout routine to get incredible and long-lasting results in record time, then you probably have already put some thought into how helpful the right supplements can be. Creatine is a common workout supplement that people take to help improve the effects of their workout, and knowing the right time to take it is key to maximizing the effects of your efforts. First, before talking about the best way to get the most out of your creatine supplement, it’s a good idea to understand the purpose of the supplement and what you can hope to accomplish with it.

Benefits of Creatine

Creatine increases your body’s muscular storage of a type of energy known as creatine phosphate, which holds an important function in producing energy for quick exercise sessions of high intensity. In simple terms, the addition of creatine as a supplement when you go through your workout routine results in muscular stores of creatine phosphate becoming increased. This aids the body by feeding the ATP-PC energy system—the primary energy system we access during gym workouts while training in near maximum power and weight exercises.

Another benefit of creatine is increasing the amount of energy you have. When the muscles’ creatine phosphate is depleted, the result is an increase in muscular fatigue. What this means, however, is that an increase in creatine can help restore those levels, allowing you to achieve a better workout and not get tired as quickly or easily.

In simple terms, the benefits of taking creatine supplements to improve your workout include better levels of creatine stored in your body’s muscles, resulting in more energy to be used in high-intensity exercise without as much depletion, and in those creatine levels being more quickly regenerated. This brings about better recovery, as well as enhanced creatine storage for the next time you use your body’s natural creatine.

Check out these studies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10999421

When to Take Creatine

Knowing when to take creatine can help you achieve the maximum effects. For best results, it is recommended that you take most of your supplements either before and after your workout. Creatine is different. The reason creatine is different is the method through which it works. Creatine is a naturally-produced chemical inside your body. Taking a creatine supplement is intended to raise up the stores of creatine in your body in order to maximize what can be used during your workout. Creatine isn’t like protein ord carbs that cycle through your body in a matter of hours. It often takes weeks to build up to a max store of creatine (just like it often takes weeks for those stores to be depleted or return to normal after stopping supplementation). That means that taking your creatine in your pre-workout is NOT necessary. Is it OK? Sure. The truth is that iot just doesn’t matter when you take it nearly as much as protein or pre-workout.

So, in the end, just make sure you take it regularly (daily) and you’ll be OK.

What is Creatine Loading

In addition to taking creatine regularly, many sources will recommend creatine loading. This refers to the process of taking 10, 15, or 20g of creatine per day when you first start taking creatine. This higher-than normal dosage would typically be taken for the first 5 days of using creatine, followed by a “maintenance” phase of 4-5g daily. Numbers here may vary based on the individual and the type of creatine you are taking (for example, Creatine HCL claims to not require a load phase and then doses daily at about 2g)

Do I Need to Load Creatine?

While many consider creatine loading to be a standard practice for beginning to use the supplement in the workout process, much new research suggests that it is not necessary to load creatine at all. While it may help you see benefits faster, in the long run, your progress will be about the same either way. I would argue that for someone that is cycling creatine, a load phase is probably a good idea. If you plan on taking creatine consistently without cycling, then loading may not be as impactful.

Do I Need to Cycle Creatine?

Creatine cycling refers to adding a phase into your workout routine in which you do not take creatine for certain periods of time in order to allow your body to function naturally and take a break from the substance. However, there is not necessarily any scientific data to prove that this is a necessary part of taking a creatine supplement to get the most out of your workout routine. As there are little to no harmful side effects from taking creatine, there shouldn’t be any reason to fear supplementing your body with the substance full-time.

Some users fear that if they do not give their body a break from creatine supplements, it will forget how to make it on its own. With no data to support this theory, however, it is not necessary to practice creatine cycling. However, there is nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. I’ve seen several studies recently that disprove this theory completely and one that supported it to a small degree, but showed that completely normal creatine production started up again within a week or two.

Personally, I prefer to cycle all of my supplements. Creatine, caffeine, the pre-workouts (beta alanine, citrulline, etc), and so on. I don’t have any particular science-backed reasoning for it except that anytime I start back on a cycle, I feel like I get an increased benefit for the first few weeks.

As a side note, the idea of cycling any kind of supplement probably came from steroid use where a user can stop producing testosterone completely if supplemented by artificial testosterone. This, however, doesn’t apply to any of the supplements I mentioned above and certainly does not apply to creatine.

How Long to Take Creatine

Most people use creatine for around 1.5 to 3 months, then repeat the process after taking a break from it for about a month. Of course, no data shows that the break is a necessary part of the process. If you are wondering how long to take creatine, but are not interested in cycling your use of the product, then you can take it as long as you are looking to reap the benefits from it.

The post When to Take Creatine: A Brief Guide to Timing & Cycling appeared first on Supplement Science.

Creatine has been a powerful and popular workout supplement for quite some time now, and it is used by many athletes and those looking to achieve their desired fitness goals. This is because it is superior at replenishing the body’s naturally occurring creatine, increasing recovery time, and providing the user with more energy during their workout. This makes workouts more productive and gets better results.

However, when most people talk about creatine, they are typically talking about creatine monohydrate. Lately, though, Creatine HCL (creatine hydrochloride) has been hitting the spotlight. This is another type of creatine that is used to achieve the same purpose, but has been reported to have significant benefits over creatine monohydrate.

Find out more at – pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Creatine HCL vs. Monohydrate

There are a lot of reasons creatine HCl is gaining popularity over creatine monohydrate in the market lately, and a lot of it has to do with evidence supporting the fact that creatine HCl has better performance capabilities. Some of the advantages it offers over its standard counterpart include better absorption rates, meaning that more of the substance goes to use in the body rather than simply being discarded in urine, and greater solubility, meaning that less of the substance is required to achieve a similar effect. In fact, while creatine monohydrate typically comes with a recommended dosage of 3-5g daily, creatine HCl requires only 2g per day.

If you are trying to debate creatine HCl vs creatine monohydrate, it’s a good idea to weigh their performance capabilities. While creatine monohydrate does work excellently, that does not mean it is the best option available on the market. Creatine HCl has been shown to improve performance and the absorption rate of the supplement, with the addition of fewer side effects than what you might experience from creatine monohydrate.

Recommended Creatine HCL Dosage

The creatine HCl dosage recommended to users is significantly less than what they are required to take to achieve the same benefits while using creatine monohydrate. Typically, those users consume around 3-5g of the supplement on a daily basis in order to reap optimal benefits, while creatine HCl users need only 2g of their supplement to maximize the effects of their workout. The smaller dosage is a benefit that makes many inclined to make the switch to using creatine HCl rather than their previous methods.

Creatine HCL Side Effects

While creatine monohydrate does excellent things for your workout with minimal side effects, there are some things that users may experience while using the product that they had not intended. Some of these side effects include digestive issues and water retention. While neither of these is a big deal, it is something that can quickly become frustrating from a supplement you are taking on a daily basis. Fortunately, the creatine HCl side effects are all but nonexistent. The substance actually improves performance and absorption rates in comparison to creatine monohydrate, while eliminating any digestive issues or water retention side effects users may have been experiencing with their previous form of creatine.

The Verdict

Creatine monohydrate is a tried and true supplement that has aided athletes and body builders for ages. It does its job well with minimal side effects. However, just because it performs well does not mean that it is the best option on the market—creatine HCl has been proven to provide users with superior performance capabilities with fewer side effects.

Also check out our comparison of Creatine Monohydrate with Kre-Alkalyn (Buffered Creatine).

Or, check out a few of our favorite pre-workout supplements that contain Creatine HCL:

1. Jym Pre Jym – 2g creatine hcl (review)
2. Transparent Labs Stim Free Pre-Workout – 3g creatine hcl (review)
3. Kaged Muscle Pre Kaged– 1.5g creatine hcl (review)

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Using creatine on a daily basis is an excellent and effective tool for getting the best results from your regular workout routine. Like many great supplements, however, it is subject to much scrutiny and myths surrounding the potential effects it can have on the body by taking it for long periods of time. We’re here to help you sort out fact from fiction.

Dangers of Creatine

There are all sorts of myths floating around out there about the potential dangers of creatine, but fortunately, most of them are not true.

Dehydration? One such myth is that creatine causes dehydration and cramping in its users, which would certainly be a significant cause for concern, as it is important for people to keep hydrated at all times, especially during a regular workout. Fortunately, this is another claim that has no evidence to support it, and is simply a myth that continuously gets spread around with no scientific backing.

Compartment syndrome? A condition that occurs when there is excessive pressure present in the muscle compartment, is another rumored danger of using creatine on a regular basis. Like the many other myths surrounding this helpful supplement, there is no reason to be concerned that creatine use can lead to compartment syndrome.

The stories surrounding the dangers of creatine that are true, or that contain a hint of truth, are much less worrisome. For example, the tale that creatine causes weight gain does contain a grain of fact; users sometimes gain between .8 and 2.9 percent body weight in the first few days of using the substance if they choose to have a loading phase—and this is all simply water weight.

Creatine Side Effects

Like the dangers of creatine, there is much buzz about creation side effects that have no scientific backing to support them at all. Some of the side effects that are most likely talked about are the aforementioned effects on kidneys, an organ on which no study has revealed any negative effects—save for in the case of preexisting conditions.

Creatine Effects on Sperm

It has been said that use of the supplement has a negative effect on sperm; however, no study has uncovered anything about creatine effects on sperm being negative. The concerns primarily centered on the question of whether the supplement could make a man infertile, but fortunately, it cannot. Creatine has no effect on sperm whatsoever—and sperm already naturally contains creatine.

Creatine Effects on Kidneys

Another popular myth claims that creatine can cause kidney stones or liver failure. However, the fact is that there have been many long-term studies performed regarding the use of creatine, and none of them have revealed any evidence that the supplement is harmful in such a way.

Creatine Effects on Hair Loss

Finally, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not creatine side effects include hair loss. If you’re worried that creatine might have a negative effect on your hair growth, then you probably don’t need to be! Men with male pattern baldness may experience an increased rate of hair loss (No study has really been conclusive either way), but in most cases, the use of creatine to enhance your workout results should have no effect on your hair growth whatsoever.

The Bottom Line

Creatine is a supplement that can do your body wonders during a workout—both for the recovery time you experience and the results you will see. However, like all supplements, it is understandable the object of much scrutiny and a lot of myths and rumors crop up surrounding its safety and validity. However, most of the negative claims made about creatine have no scientific backing. In fact, you have every reason to believe and trust that creatine is safe to use—and that it works, too!

Take a look at our top 5 recommended creatine supplements.

The post Creatine Dangers, Side Effects, & Myths appeared first on Supplement Science.

Is Creatine a Steroid?

Because of the controversy that initially surrounded this supplement, many still ask today ‘is creatine a steroid?’ The answer, however, is quite simple—No!

As mentioned above, creatine is a tripeptide amino acid compound, and it is not classified as a steroid by either the scientific or legal definitions. A steroid, scientifically speaking, has a specific backbone structure that is composed of 4 conjoined cycloalkane rings—creatine does not have this compound structure. In addition, creatine does not have nearly as much of an impact on your hormones as steroids, like say injectable testosterone.

The stigma surrounding creatine that has caused many to wrongly associate it with steroids is due to its powerful abilities to help users bulk up fast. However, the distinction is important as creatine is not a steroid and it is not considered illegal as a performance supplement.

Find out more at MedlinePlus.gov

Benefits of Creatine

Since it first hit the shelves, high-performance athletes, body builders, and weight trainers alike have rushed to take advantage of the many fast-acting effects of this supplement.

High-Intensity Endurance: One of the greatest benefits of creatine is that it helps regenerate ATP (the energy source that fuels your body’s cells) during high-intensity workouts. This is because creatine acts as a high-energy phosphate to prevent fatigue.

Bulking Up: If you are looking to go up a weight class, or simply achieve the swole body you’ve been working towards, creatine can help you bulk up fast. This is mostly because it help you retain water weight and it can cause your muscle cells to inflate—creating a volumizing effect. In fact, many who use the supplement report an increase of 6 pounds of body weight or more within the first few weeks of intake.

Support Muscle Recovery: Recent studies have also suggested that creatine may also benefit strength and endurance athletes by supporting muscle recovery and repair following intense workouts.

More: Many other benefits have been associated with creatine, including enhancing brain power, increasing anaerobic capacity, preventing age-related muscle catabolism, and more.

Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?

Another common query about the supplement is “does creatine make you gain weight?” For bodybuilders, adding high doses of creatine to your diet is an effective way to bulk up. This is because creatine has been shown to increase water retention and build muscle mass quickly, with the average user gaining 1-3 pounds within the first week of intake. However, if you would prefer not to gain weight while using creatine, you can decrease your dosage to about 2.3 grams per day and still benefit from its effects without taking on addition water weight.

Does Creatine Build Muscle?

If you’ve been wondering “does creatine build muscle?”, you are in for some good news. Studies have shown that regular intake of creatine does not only inflate the muscle cells, but it also helps to build muscle mass. In fact, one study conducted by the Université Libre de Bruxelles showed that patients taking creatine supplements experienced a 2kg increase in body mass compared to the control group. Because creatine is composed of three amino acids, it helps increase the natural synthesis of protein in addition to giving your body the fuel it needs to reach new fitness goals and build muscle.

Additional Notes: There have over the past 5-10 years been several new variations of creatine introduced in supplements by a range of different companies. The standard “original” creatine is known as “creatine monohydrate”. Other variations like Creatine HCL, Creatine Ethyl-Ester, Kre-Alkalyn (or buffered creatine), micronized creatine, and a few others. I’ll get into these others more later, but just know they are out there. Most of them simply allow for lower dosages (through higher uptake) or claim slight improvements in response by “non-responders”.

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In short, creatine is a great help to athletes, bodybuilders, and more. However, it comes in more than one form, so those looking to start cashing in on the benefits it offers might have some trouble deciding on which form to turn to. Right now, the two market favorites are creatine monohydrate and kre-alkalyn.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is a supplement that has been used for ages to help those dedicated to following a rigorous workout routine see results much faster than they otherwise would. It helps in several ways, such as through providing the user with the energy they need to get through the workout and push their muscles farther than they would have been capable of without the help of a creatine supplement. In addition, it helps with muscle growth for those looking to bulk up. Creatine is an extremely helpful supplement to anyone striving to reach their fitness goals, as it makes the process much easier and helps the user to see results in a reduced amount of time. While creatine may come in many forms, creatine monohydrate is the traditional form that has been around the longest. As a result, it has undergone the most testing and is widely regarded as the option that yields the best results for the consumer.

Top Recommended Creatine Monohydrate Products

BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate on Amazon – No flavoring, no other crap, cheap as dirt! I grabbed a 5kg bag about 6 months ago and still have plenty left. I’ve purchased their small bag several times and was very happy). I included the Amazon link just because that’s where I’ve always bought it. You can buy it directly from their site here, but its usually more expensive even with the 10% off coupons they give anyone)

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Capsules on Amazon – If you don’t like drinking supplements or don’t want to mix something else into your pre workout or protein, these capsules are a good option. In my opininon there’s no value other than its easy to transport and dose. I prefer powders in general.

Kre-Alkalyn

The new kid on the block, however, is kre-alkalyn. Because this new, “buffered” form of creatine is a more modern advancement, many believe that it can give the same benefits as creatine monohydrate does, but enhance those benefits and bring about even better results. When it was first released onto the market, advertising claims promised that the new product would be better and safer than the old favorite, creatine monohydrate. These claims, understandably, led to many studies being conducted to uncover the truth, and they all found similar results.

Top Recommended Kre-Alkalyn Creatine Products

These are really the only two KreAlkalyn products I see anyone taking.

Now Sports Kre-Alkalyn Creatine on Amazon

EFX Sports Kre-Alkalyn (This was my first Kre-Alkalyn)

Which One Should I Use?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that question. Studies such as this one show that there is no significant difference between the two supplements. Although many different studies make it clear that there is no benefit of using one supplement over another, it is worth noting that the required serving size for kre-alkalyn is only 1.5g versus the 5g of creatine monohydrate the user needs to consume in order to get the same results. This is certainly an added benefit of opting for the kre-alkalyn over creatine monohydrate, but for many, it’s not enough of a benefit to convince them to switch from the trusted creatine monohydrate brand they’ve been using, trusting, and seeing results from for years.

The bottom line is that study after study has shown that there is no significant difference between the two types of creatine. So, at the end of the day, it all comes down to preference. Do you like the added benefit of only needing to consume a fraction of the supplement to get the same results? Then kre-alkalyn might be for you. On the other hand, are you comforted and reassured by the years of study and evidence backing the performance of the traditional option, creatine monohydrate? Because it’s been around so much longer, it has been much more extensively and rigorously tested, meaning we have a much better idea of the sort of effects we can expect from it. Different people will have different preferences on which one they’d like to trust their workout results to. If you’re ready to start experiencing the difference a creatine supplement can make, the choice is yours—you can’t go wrong.

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Have you thought about taking creatine to increase the effectiveness and intensity of your workouts? If you are going to put in all the effort into following a rigorous workout routine with dedication, then you undoubtedly want to make sure you are getting the most out of the time and energy you are putting into it.  One way to do this is to use creatine, the incredible amino acid that helps you push your muscles that extra mile, or extra few pounds, to make them bigger and stronger, faster. Let’s help you find the best creatine supplements for you.

How Does Creatine work?

Creatine works by increasing the ability your body must rapidly produce energy. With that extra energy, particularly in a high-intensity workout, you will be able to do that extra set, or add those extra pounds, making all the difference in the results you are going to see. Creatine helps you put on weight faster as your muscles grow much more quickly than they would otherwise without the aid of this fantastic supplement.

The fact is, however, that there are plenty of options available on the market for you to choose from when it comes to creatine. It can be difficult to decide which form is going to be the best creatine supplement for your needs and specific workout routines. There’s creatine monohydrate, which is the traditional form that people have been using for decades to aid them in achieving their fitness goals. It’s considered to be the most effective form, but it is also the easiest to track down and is extremely affordable. Other forms of creatine include HCL, kre-alkalyn, and Ethyl Ester, which can range in their efficacy and can be more difficult to find.

What What Are the Best Creatine Supplements?

To help you find the best creatine supplements for your needs, we have compiled a list of our top 5 favorite forms. Look through them and conduct your own research to help you decide on what will be most beneficial for you!

#5 Universal Nutrition Creatine

This creatine supplement is one of our favorites because it is a pure creatine monohydrate product at a great price! It features ingredients that are proven to work and help the user supercharge their workouts and their recovery ability afterwards, with absolutely no additives. This micronized creatine powder is extremely refined, allowing it to mix well, and it adds almost no taste at all. Mix it with whatever with whatever you want, and get ready for some supercharged workouts! Don’t be fooled by its place at #5 on this list, UN’s product is definitely among the best creatine supplements available.

• Buy from Amazon.com
• Buy from IllPumpYouUp.com
• Buy from Universalnutrition.com

#4 MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate

This product from MyProtein contains creatine monohydrate, the oldest and most thoroughly tested form of creatine and the type many believes delivers the best results. For this reason, we like MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate for the superior results it provides. It’s a good value, helps the user to build muscle, and its flavorless factor allows it to be mixed in with anything you’d like.

• Buy from Amazon.com
• Buy from IllPumpYouUp.com
• Buy from Myprotein.com

#3 Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine

Optimum Nutrition’s Micronized Creatine offers 5 grams of 99.9% completely pure creatine monohydrate. Like most forms of creatine powder, it is tasteless, allowing it to be mixed with anything—but this version doesn’t have the same gritty taste and texture that you find from other brands on the market.

See our full review of Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine.

• Buy from Amazon.com
• Buy from IllPumpYouUp.com
• Buy from Optimumnutrition.com
• Buy from Bodybuilding.com

#2 Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate

Bulk Supplements offers an extremely pure and highly tested product for the assurance, guaranteed safety, and optimal results of their customers. I pretty much guarantee this is the best creatine product for the price. It contains pure micronized creatine monohydrate, which has been lab tasted to verify its guaranteed purity of 99.99%. The high-intensity energy it offers helps for more effective workouts, and the power and strength increase factor helps for better and faster results.

• Buy from Amazon.com
• Buy from Bulksupplements.com

#1 Transparent Labs StrengthSeries Creatine HMB

This formula is known to be an extremely high-quality product. It contains only ingredients of the highest quality possible, and it has been known to produce incredible results. This works to help combat fatigue during workouts so the user can continue longer and push themselves further than before. It also helps in completing more effective workouts than is otherwise possible. Because of the superior quality of Transparent Labs StrenthSeries Creatine HMB, it is one of our favorite creatine supplements available on today’s market.

• Buy from Transparentlabs.com

Looking for the best creatine suppelement for your needs? This guide has plenty of options to choose from that should help you narrow down your options to what works best for you. Buy one today and give it a try!

The post Top 5 Best Creatine Supplements — What Creatine Should You Use? appeared first on Supplement Science.