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Creatine: The Queen of Strength

You’re lying on the bench, ready to execute the last rep of the second-to-last set of a heavy strength routine.

You wish it was already over.

But no, you’re still there.

You can’t give up now because you want everything to be perfect.

“Let’s go!”

You lift the bar off the rack, and it feels ridiculously heavy. You’re exhausted!

And… 1!

Your arms start shaking on the first rep.

2…

Control over the weight begins to falter.

3…

The bar barely lifts off your chest.

Just one more!

Ahhh, you grit your teeth and power through.

But wait… One more set to go! Help!!!

How will you finish the workout?

You start again after a 3-minute rest, but immediately you know something’s wrong.

You lower the bar to your chest and…

Boom!

The bar doesn’t go back up.

Luckily, your trusty bro helps you avoid disaster!

Frustrated, you’re overwhelmed by a sense of defeat.

What could you have done to conquer the barbell?

Perhaps you could have had an extra weapon if someone had explained to you the mechanisms that help you recover more quickly between strength sets.

ATP is the energy currency with which we pay for exertion!

Without ATP, we can’t move, breathe, or talk. When performing strength work, we need it to be available immediately.

The magical ingredient that can help speed up this ATP resynthesis after exertion is creatine.

Creatine is a compound derived from three amino acids: methionine, glycine, and arginine, primarily stored in muscle cells.

About 65% of muscle creatine is stored as phosphocreatine, which helps rapidly, albeit briefly, resynthesize ATP to produce energy during maximum intensity efforts.

This mechanism, anaerobic (because it occurs without oxygen) and alactic (without lactic acid production), lasts for 5-10 seconds.

In this context, creatine helps speed up recovery between sets, allowing you to lift the same weight for longer.

You already get some creatine from food, and your body produces some naturally. But can we increase its muscle content through supplementation?

What are the effects of creatine supplementation on performance?

How can creatine help improve short-duration performance?

  • The main benefit is what could have helped you finish the last set on the bench: increasing recovery speed between sets!
  • Creatine is also useful for sports requiring repeated high-intensity sprints, such as soccer, hockey, tennis, or padel. By improving recovery, it helps you train harder and further improve performance.
  • Taking 20g of creatine per day for 5-6 days is associated with a weight increase of 0.5 to 3.5 kg due to increased water retention in cells. This change can be particularly beneficial for increasing muscle mass. But how?

Some theories suggest that chronic creatine intake may improve intracellular hydration.

This increase in cellular hydration seems to be a powerful stimulus for anabolism (muscle growth).

However, don’t think that just taking creatine without hard work in the gym will be enough to make your muscles grow!

No substance can do that—despite what some supplement ads may promise.

Another science-backed benefit of creatine is its cognitive effects.

It appears that creatine can improve cognitive performance, reducing mental fatigue and enhancing memory.

So, why wouldn’t you take creatine?

But now, let's figure out how to take it.

There are countless types of creatine on the market, but in terms of benefits and cost, the best and most studied form is creatine monohydrate.

If you want a more soluble and absorbable product, you can opt for micronized creatine monohydrate.

There are two main methods for correct supplementation:

  • Loading phase
  • Chronic use

In the loading phase, you take 0.3g/kg of body weight per day for 5-7 days, followed by 0.03g/kg per day.

This protocol can be done in 4-week cycles or continued for several months.

For chronic use, you can take 3-5 g of creatine continuously for months. It will take a few weeks for muscle cells to reach maximum creatine levels.

Warning!

If creatine isn’t taken with an adequate amount of water, it can cause stomach cramps. Taking too much in one dose can lead to diarrhea and nausea.

Important reminders for proper creatine use:

  1. Take 0.3g/kg for 5-7 days when loading, and split the daily dose into several servings.
  2. 0.03g/kg/day for at least 28 days for chronic use.
  3. Always take creatine with plenty of water, making sure it dissolves properly.

Beyond these basic tips, there are certain conditions that can help optimize creatine absorption.

If you’d like to discover how to personalize your intake and how to integrate it into your training routine, then join the From Zero To Hero program and become a super athlete.

SOURCES

Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports.

Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.

Hultman E, Söderlund K, Timmons JA, Cederblad G, Greenhaff PL. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1996 Jul;81(1):232-7. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232. PMID: 8828669.

Clinical sport Nutrition – Louise Burke, Vicki Deakin.

Sport Nutrition – Asker Jeukendroup, Michael Gleeson.

Alimentazione nello sport – William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch.

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